


Blackburn

by MessyInsomniacBookGirl



Category: Actor RPF, British Actor RPF, Tom Hiddleston - Fandom, Tom Hiddleston Fandom
Genre: Career, Character Study, Dark Past, Developing Friendships, Drama, Eventual Smut, F/M, Family, Fluff, Humor, NaNoWriMo, Past Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Past Child Abuse, Past Drug Addiction, Past Drug Use, Past Sexual Abuse, RPF, Relationship(s), Romance, Smut, Swearing, careers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2019-03-18 10:41:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 63,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13680051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MessyInsomniacBookGirl/pseuds/MessyInsomniacBookGirl
Summary: Kat, an up and coming published writer with a shady past, works at her brother's pub to make ends meet. She has published two books, and thanks to a surge in her book sales, those ends meet more easily, nowadays, than they had in the months, and years, before. Which results in less and less shifts at the pub, and in more time for her writing. One night, after writing all day, she's asked to cover for two employees, who have fallen ill with the flu...... And then a certain someone walks in. With his... girlfriend?—————————————WARNING: Triggers inside! READ THE TAGS!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I own nothing.
> 
> I make no money with this.
> 
> This is my Sandbox. I like to make cookies.

**Chapter 1**

 

_ Saturday, 11 March 2017, 16:30. Hampstead, London _

 

‘Kat, both Joe and Elise just called in sick, and we’re swamped. Rose has the weekend off and is in Scotland. I need you to do the dinner service. Please tell me you’re free to help tonight?’ 

Kat looked up from her laptop screen to see her very anxious, redheaded, male flatmate -and foster brother- burst through the door of the flat they shared. The flat that was located above the pub, which was owned by said anxious male. Said anxious male was apparently unexpectedly short staffed for the night.

She raised an eyebrow at his panicky behaviour and closed the laptop; powering it down after she saved her work. Sighing, she stood up from where she was sitting at the kitchen table and stretched, looking at the clock. Half past four. What a time to call in sick.

‘You sure they’re not playing hooky? It wouldn’t be the first time those two were too busy shagging to be arsed to show up at work.’ Her tone was sceptical.

‘I think this time it’s for real. I heard very disturbing sounds in the background. Of the stomach flu kind. Runs and vomit…’ He shivered in disgust.

‘Urgh…’ Kat pulled a face at her former foster-brother and now part-time employer. ‘TMI, Mack.’

Mack snickered.

‘You’re welcome, hon. I aim to please. So, whadda ya say? You up for a shift?’

‘Yeah, sure, I was done writing for the day, anyway. No better way to end a day of sitting on one’s arse than running around and hefting heavy trays all night, while trying to substitute not for one, but two of your employees.’ The sarcasm shone through in her voice. ‘Who’s doing the bar, anyway?’

‘I got Mark to do bar from five until half past eight; he wasn’t happy to be called in on his night off, and he can’t stay any later than half eight. After that it’s your turn. I’ll be in the kitchen from five until half eight, and, after that, I’ll alternate kitchen and front, and help out with the last leg of dinner shift. Mary’s already here and I’ve got Sven and Greg prepping in the kitchen. They’ll clean up the kitchen after dinner, and I’ll be front and assisting at the bar from that time until closing.’

‘Jesus, you’ve got two people serving on a _Saturday?!_ Good thing you’ve got Mary tonight, and me, of course. We’re the most experienced of staff. We’ll manage, but it’ll be close to a marathon run.’ She sighed. ‘Alright, get back to work, I’ll be down at five. Got some showering and dressing to do. Later, boss.’

‘Thanks, Kat, you’re a lifesaver!’ Mack turned around to leave after he had sent her a warm smile and had squeezed her shoulder in gratitude. She was sure he would have hugged her if he hadn’t known about her aversion to being physically crowded by people. Especially if they were bigger and stronger than she was. 

‘Yeah, yeah, keep the words and let your gratitude show on the pay-check, jerk.’ She yelled good-naturedly at his retreating back. 

She heard him bark a laugh and mumble something unintelligible under his breath as he bounced back down the stairs to the pub kitchen.

Sighing, she looked down at her attire and realised that she hadn’t even changed out of her pyjamas yet. She’d had such a good idea to incorporate into her story, that she’d started writing as soon as she’d woken up that morning. She also realised that she was running on only three crackers with cheese and cucumber, and an apple, and way too much coffee. Maybe she’d be able to have a bite down in the kitchen later. Right, first things first. A quick shower and then dress in work clothes. 

She hurried to her bedroom and dug up a clean pair of knickers from her underwear drawer. Then she located her only clean bra. It was an oldie, but it would have to do. Tomorrow was laundry day and she was at the end of her options, clothing wise.

After a quick shower, she applied her makeup. Just a dusting of powder and blush, followed by lilac eyeshadow and black mascara, and a smudge of transparent, light pink lip balm.

She quickly blow-dried her shoulder length, dark brown hair and put it up in a loose, high, bun; making sure it was secure enough that it wouldn’t fall down halfway through her shift. She let a few wavy tendrils hang loose around her face to give the hairdo, and herself, a playful appearance; knowing that that would garner more and higher tips for the waiting staff. 

Hurrying back to her bedroom, she glanced at the clock. Ten to five. Great. Clothes. 

She pulled her work clothes from the hanger in her closet, and slipped into the white, long-sleeved blouse; speedily fastening the tiny buttons. After that, she pulled on her opaque, skin toned tights and the tight, high waisted skirt that reached to just above her knees. She tucked in her blouse and closed the skirt’s zipper on the side of the garment. 

After pulling on an extra pair of soft socks over her nylon clad feet, she put on, and laced up, her knee-high, black Dr Martens boots. Maybe not the most flattering type of footwear, but definitely the most comfy. Especially when one had to run around waiting tables, and working the bar, for eight hours straight. Most of the wait staff went with black sneakers or loafers, but Kat stuck with her old, trusty DM’s.

At five to five, she made her way down the stairs, and entered the pub’s kitchen through the heavy, fire-resistant door. 

‘Wotcher, Kat! Good to see ya!’ Greg, one of the cooks, called out from behind a chopping board.

‘All’s good, mate! You got a bite for me before I go out front?’

‘Yeah, got some leftover veggie bangers an’ mash in the cooler, fresh from lunch shift. Want me to heat it up for ya?’

‘Oh, yes, please. Something tells me I’m gonna need some hearty fare tonight, with all the business we’re expecting.’

‘Ya know we’re fully booked till nine? Prolly not gonna be home till after midnight. An’ you even later I reckon.’ Greg pulled a plate with a dash of mash and two veggie sausages out of the cooler, and put it in the microwave to warm.

‘One of the setbacks of living where you work, I’m sure.’ Kat joked. ‘If Mack gets this much turnover for the rest of the weekends this month, we won’t have to worry about him not being able to pay our wages. So, yay for that.’ She smiled when Greg set the warm plate with hot food in front of her, and dug in with the fork that Sven, their tall, blond, twenty-something cook from Sweden, had handed her. She sent him a smile in gratitude and saw his cheeks flush. Sven was a shy one. Even after six months of working alongside them, he hardly ever spoke. 

’Thanks, Greg, this is delicious. You’re a lifesaver.’ She quickly polished off the plate and put it in the dish rack. 

‘Ya know me, I live to feed the world.’ He grinned and handed her a glass of water. ‘Better drink something too. Ya don’t know when you’ll be able to again, tonight.’

‘Thanks, mate.’ She gulped down the liquid, and used the last sip to rinse out her mouth of the remnants from the food she just ate.

Mack entered the kitchen just when she put the glass down, and spotted her leaning against the counter.

‘Great, you’re here. Time to pick up the slack, lass. First customers just arrived. Now, go be nice to people and make me some money, woman.’ He clapped his hands as to hasten her.

‘Don’t push your luck, Mack.’ Kat narrowed her eyes at her employer. ‘I can still walk away.’

‘No, you won’t, you’re good like that.’ He countered.

She looked at him a bit longer, pretending to be weighing her options, and then concluded that he was right. She would never walk away from a person in need, especially not if they were as close as family. She huffed and turned to make her way into the pub. ‘Fuck, I believe you’re right. Tosser.’ she threw over her shoulder; leaving Mack and Greg snickering while they fired up the stoves to start on the first orders, which Mack had brought in.

From the moment she stepped into the pub and waved at Mary in greeting, it was a flurry of bringing people to their reserved tables, taking food and drink orders, bringing those food and drink orders to the right tables, asking people if everything was as it should be and if they needed anything else, settling bills, cleaning up tables when guests left, setting tables for the next customers and then doing it all over again. 

Mary and she had divided up the pub in two, so she did one half and Mary the other, and the times she had a window of opportunity to look up and see how her colleague was faring, she could see that the woman was just a busy as she was. It really was a madhouse tonight.

It was nearing eight fifteen when she finally had time to take a breather. She ducked behind the bar and filled a glass with water, greedily drinking it down. Setting down the empty glass, she sighed deeply and leaned against the wall, dropping her head back and closing her eyes; she was trying to centre herself and dredge up the last of her energy to make it to the end of the night. She was extremely introverted, and dealing with so many different people in such a stressful environment after a full day of putting everything into her writing, had taken a lot out of her.

‘You still with us, Kat?’ Mark, the bartender, asked, as he polished a beer glass with a dish rag.

Taking a deep breath, Kat righted herself and opened her eyes.

‘Yup.’ She popped the ‘p’ and stretched, throwing a quick look at the clock as she did so. ‘Ready to go for another few hours. I’ll relieve you in about fifteen minutes.’

‘Allright. See you then.’

'Yeah.'

She'd only just pushed off from the wall and stepped back into the fray of the busy pub, when the outer door opened, and three men and two women entered. Two of the men were very tall, and blond, and handsome, as was one of the women, tall and beautiful that is. The other woman was also a blonde, but she was shorter. She had a sort of warm, earthy beauty and was about the same height as Kat. The third man was a brunette; not as tall as the other two men, but just as roguishly handsome.

Kat grabbed five menus from the bar and stepped up to the group, giving them a friendly smile.

‘Good evening, welcome to MacKenzie’s. My name is Kat and I’ll be your waiter for the night. Have you reserved a table?’ She let her Scottish accent roll a bit more, when she was working. It was a Scottish pub after all. _‘If you’ve got it, flaunt it.’_ Mack always said. 

One of the tall, blond men stepped forward; he sent her an apologetic smile, that made the corners of his friendly blue eyes crinkle slightly. She focused her attention on him and was taken aback by the charm he so effortlessly exuded. He wasn’t handsome in the exact classical sense of the word, but those shockingly blue eyes, combined with his pronounced cheekbones above slightly hollowed cheeks, and strong, razor-sharp jaw, gave him a very imposing presence. 

There was a certain magnetic intensity to him -laying in the focus in his eyes and the calm confidence he radiated- that had her gazing up at him with wide eyes, almost mesmerised, before she realised it was rude to stare, and shook it off, concentrating on what he was saying.

‘Hello, yes, I booked a table for four, but our friend Bob, here, decided he wanted to join us.’ 

_Wow, hello, lovely voice,_ she thought. 

He gestured to the brunette, who gave her a small wave and a tightlipped smile. Was the man really wearing blue-tinted glasses at night? Wait… Was that… Robert Downey Jr?!?… No, it couldn’t be… Could it?!… She counted to ten in her head and pulled it off to stay calm and collected. ‘So, I’m afraid we’ve inconvenienced you a bit. And we’re quite early. Our table was for eight forty-five. I’m very sorry if we got you into a bit of snag. The booking is under Williams.’ The man ended his apologetic rant with a sigh.

Kat smiled up at him and she sent the group a reassuring nod.

‘That’s fine. We can always pull up another chair. We have your table ready, mr Williams, right this way.’ She led the group through the pub to a round table in a corner, ignoring a demeaning sounding snicker from the tall, blond woman. 

_‘Mr Williams? Is she really pretending that she doesn’t know who you are?’_ She heard the woman ask mr Williams in a stage whisper. Mr Williams quietly shushed her, sounding slightly irked. What was that all about? 

Kat frowned, and wondered if she’d missed something important in the past few years, that she should know who the man was. Ah, well, nothing to be done about it now.

Thankfully, the table was large enough to accommodate five people without any trouble. As the group settled down, she quickly set the table for a fifth person and grabbed an extra chair from an adjacent, empty table. It was a quite heavy, and sturdy, wooden pub chair and she stumbled a bit when she tried to lift it. 

Warm fingers covered hers and then she was suddenly relieved of the chair. She looked up into a pair of twinkling brown eyes; the blue glasses that had previously partly hid them, hanging from the neck of a t-shirt.

‘Allow me, milady.’ the brunette man - _Robert Downey Jr!!!! I’m sure of it… Kinda…_ her brain supplied helpfully- said in an American accent; a small smile playing on his lips. He set the chair by their table and sat down.

‘Um… Why, thank you, kind sir.’ Kat answered awkwardly, her Scottish accent even more pronounced than before. She felt a blush creeping up her neck and cheeks, at his show of gallantry. Damn, why couldn’t she ever just play it cool? She bit her lip and took a deep breath to steady her sudden nervousness. Pushing away the feelings of uncertainty, she started handing out the menus and asked if anyone would like a drink while they looked for a dish that would strike their fancy.

The two tall men both asked for a lager, the smaller blond woman ordered a white wine, and mr Downey - _Shiiiiiiiiit, I think it really is him!_ - wanted a coke. 

The tall, blond woman looked around the pub, taking measure of their surroundings while Kat waited patiently for her to make a choice of drink.

‘Tom, baby, you were right, this pub is positively rustic. It looks like it came straight from the middle ages. How quaint.’ A posh American accent rolled off her tongue and her tone was laced with an amused sort of superior arrogance. She fixed her cool gaze on Kat, letting it wander up and down her work outfit. Kat had an inkling that she had been found severely wanting in the wardrobe department. 

’I don’t suppose you have Perrier? Or Pellegrino?’ Kat shook her head apologetically and opened her mouth to explain which bottled water they did have, but she was interrupted. ‘No? That _is_ a bit much to hope for I suppose, considering the… venue.’ 

_What a witch!_ Her brain growled, as Kat swallowed down the negative opinion the woman had of her brother's beloved pub.  


‘We have Highland Spring bottled water, both the still and the sparkling kind, miss. We _are_ a Scottish pub after all.’ Kat answered with a polite smile. She didn’t know why -or maybe she did; the woman just rubbed her the wrong way-, but suddenly she added, ‘And we have Water of London, of course. Can’t have a lacking of that fancy still water in the inventory. Considering we’re in London. Only the best for our customers.’ She innocently blinked at the woman, who had narrowed her eyes at her, trying to discern some kind of hidden meaning behind her polite words. Kat’s heart pounded in her throat as she fought to hold her pokerface in place. 

When the woman couldn’t detect any ill will in Kat, she decisively nodded her head.

‘And rightly so. I’ll have the London water. With ice and a slice of lemon.’ She waved her hand at Kat to dismiss her from the table. 

As Kat turned around to make her way to the bar to relay their drink order to Mark, her gaze caught the eyes of mr Downey, who winked at her, and sent her a mischievous, and at the same time appreciative, grin.

_‘Careful, honey.’_ He said under his breath as she passed him. A wave of relief went through her that he hadn’t publicly called her out on her quip, and the corner of her mouth pulled up in an answering smirk. He slightly bowed his head in silent communication and then turned his attention back to his friends.

‘Two lagers, one Coke, one Riesling and a tapwater with ice and lemon, please.’ She said to Mark when she’d made it to the bar. 

Mark did a double take at the last part of the order. His hands stilled on the two lager glasses he’d just taken from the shelf. ‘A tapwater? As in… London… tapwater…’ 

‘Yup.’ Kat popped the ‘p’ and smiled sweetly at the flabbergasted bartender.

Mark started to pull the lager and shook his head at her as he chuckled.

‘Difficult customer?’

‘Wanted a Perrier or a Pellegrino. When she found out she couldn’t have either of those, she proceeded to verbally defecate on our outstanding establishment and its employees, so I recommended she choose from our Highland Spring bottled water or sample our fancy stock of Water of London. She chose the latter. With ice and a slice of lemon.’ Kat pulled a face.

A laugh escaped the bartender as he finished off the order and placed all five glasses on a tray on the bar.

‘Remind me to never get on your bad side, lass. You may have a quiet and sweet disposition, but you also have a vicious streak when provoked, and you are too smart for your own good, you know that, right?’ 

‘Street smarts, darling.’ Kat chuckled, picking up the tray. ‘Don’t forget to charge them for the water, Mark.’ she threw over her shoulder, as she walked away, balancing the tray with drinks on one hand.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat, an up and coming published writer with a shady past, works at her brother's pub to make ends meet. She has published two books, and thanks to a surge in her book sales, those ends meet more easily, nowadays, than they had in the months, and years, before. Which results in less and less shifts at the pub, and in more time for her writing. One night, after writing all day, she's asked to cover for two employees, who have fallen ill with the flu...
> 
> \------------
> 
> A/N: Another one of my NaNoWriMo projects. I just couldn't resist uploading (part of) this one, too... So, here ya go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing.
> 
> I make no money with this.
> 
> This is my Sandbox. I like to make cookies.

**Chapter 2**

 

After she had given each of the five their respective beverages, she took their orders. Which went off without a hitch, until it came to the tall woman, who was sitting next to mr Williams. Or should she say, was almost draped over mr Williams. 

He didn’t look like he minded, though. Albeit his companions obviously did. The pair was completely oblivious to their furtive glances of disapproval. Well, mr Williams was, anyway. The woman looked up at her with a triumphant glint in her eyes while her hand played with the hair behind mr Williams’ ear, hair that curled outward slightly. She wasn’t oblivious to the irritation of their companions, but clearly counted on their wishing to remain friends with mr Williams, to help them hold their tongues.

‘Tom, baby, everything on here is either drenched in fat and salt, or coated in sugar.’ She waved the menu in front of her date’s face.‘And you know I don’t eat gluten. Why did we have to go here anyway? Couldn’t we have gone to the Wolseley? They have gluten free meals.’ The pout on her face was studiously cute as she made big innocent eyes at mr Williams; her suddenly childish tone softening her harsh words.  
  
_‘No estoy más hambriento’_ With a start, Kat looked up from where she was patiently waiting for mr Williams and his octopus-like date to be done with their conversation, and caught the eye of the other woman in their group who had just whispered to her date that the situation was putting her off her food. It wasn’t as quietly said as it was intended, though, because there was a slight lull in the music.

A blush spread on the woman’s cheeks when she realised that she’d been caught saying something not so gracious about their companions, in another language. 

‘You are right, the food tastes as good as it looks, madam.’ Kat answered her in English, causing everyone to turn to her, instead of asking the tiny woman what she’d said; saving her from an embarrassing situation. Kat turned to mr Williams’ date.

‘If you have a gluten intolerance, or allergy, our chef can adapt the ingredients for most dishes. We also have a few vegetarian dishes, and some salads that are a bit lighter on the stomach than the meat dishes. All you have to do is ask. Our kitchen personnel has been trained to handle food for people with allergies.’

‘Oh, I don’t have an allergy. I just don’t eat gluten. They’re bad for you. But I don’t expect you to know that. I have consulted a renowned LA dietician about my diet. He was very adamant that I keep to his schedule. I have an important audition coming up and I have to look my best. You understand how it is.’ She let her eyes wander over Kat’s curvy figure in a condescending way. ‘Or maybe _you_ don’t…’ She laughed at her own joke. Kat didn’t think it was funny. Neither did the rest of the group.

‘Antonia…’ Mr Williams admonished her with a strained smile. ‘Be nice.’

‘What? It was funny.’ There was that endearing pout again. Kat wondered how long it had taken the woman to perfect it in front of the mirror. It was too deliberately innocent to be genuine.

She looked from mr Williams to Antonia and back, and wondered how someone could be so enchanted by another being that they were willing to overlook the glaring character flaws that the object of their affections displayed.

‘Come on, darling, order something, so we all can have a bite to eat. If you don’t like it you don’t have to eat it.’

‘Oh, alright. I’ll have the caesar salad, with the dressing on the side and without any ingredients that contain gluten.’No wonder the woman was so skinny. She ate like a rabbit. 

Kat nodded in acknowledgement and repeated all the dishes back to them, to check if she recalled it all correctly. Then she proceeded to the kitchen to relay their orders and after that she was busy with customers settling their bills. She refilled the Williams group’s glasses one more time and then it was time to replace Mark behind the bar.

‘Have a good one.’ Mark called out to her as he pulled on his jacket. She waved in thanks and then he was out the door. Well, so much for correctly turning the bar over to her. The man just left her with a few scribbled notes about stocking more vodka and whisky, and a wet and sticky counter to clean. _Great_.

Quickly she set to work. It wouldn’t be long before the dinner crowd would disperse and the clubbing and pubbing crowd would appear. It was only good sense to have everything stocked up, and set out in order, before that happened. If she ran out of a beverage during the busy time between ten and midnight, she wouldn’t have the time to restock.

As she was rapidly cleaning and drying glasses, she spotted Mack and Greg leaving the kitchen to serve the Williams group. It looked like the food was being received with much enthusiasm, as all of them dug in almost immediately.

Mack stayed out a bit to chat with the group. Strange. He usually didn’t really do that.

Kat came out from behind the bar to collect empty glasses from various tables, and saw from the corner of her eye that the brunette man asked Mack something while gesturing her way.

Mack looked up at her, an amused expression on his face. His booming voice travelling far when he answered.

‘Kat? Yeah, very. She’s a darling. And also smart as a whip, that woman.’ What were they on about?

Mack’s remark earned him a shrill laugh from Antonia.

‘What’s smart about working as a waitress? I mean, she’s at least in her late thirties. She’s fat and she’s still working here. That’s not really smart, now, is it? And it’s not like it’s hard to serve people drinks, you know. It’s not rocket science.’ 

Oh dear. Kat saw the smile disappear from Mack’s face; his cheeks reddening a bit. Time to do an intervention. She hadn’t taken two steps when she saw Mack turn to the woman with a frown. Shite. Too late.

‘That woman there,’ Mack pointed at Kat. Five heads turned her way, scrutinising her as she tried to shuffle off with a tray full of dirty glasses. ‘is my sister. And she has more intelligence, compassion and consideration for others in her pinkie finger than you will ever have floating in your vapid little brain.' 

Kat heard Antonia gasp in indignation. But Mack wasn't done yet and steamrolled over whatever comeback she had cooked up.

'I’ve seen her overcome things that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy and then put herself through university while working two jobs. Earning her bachelor with highest honours. And then go on to get herself not one, but _two,_  masters degrees from UCL. The reason that she’s even here right now, is because I was short on staff tonight and asked her to fill in. And she agreed to help me out, even after she’d been writing for ten hours straight…

'And she’s curvy, not fat.’ He added as an afterthought.

An awkward silence stretched, until,

‘Oh, you are a writer?’ The tiny blond woman asked curiously; smiling encouragingly. She hadn’t forgotten Kat’s assistance, earlier, and was trying to repay the kindness by breaking the tension.

Kat nodded shyly, still not sure if it hadn't been a better idea to go hide behind the bar.

‘What do you write about?’

‘Um, mostly urban fantasy, lately.’ She said, her voice almost not heard above the conversations around them. She felt very uncomfortable under everyone’s gazes.

‘Well, I’ve never heard of you, Kat.’ Antonia interjected arrogantly; apparently pissed from being told off by Mack, and determined to now spoil everyone’s night. ‘Speaking of writing… I’ve got an audition in LA next week, for a series of movies that’s being made from the books by K.T. Blackburn. Now that’s what I call, a writer. The casting is still in the very early stages and they’re considering several actresses for the role of Anna, of course, and I haven’t met the writer yet, but I’m sure once he sees my audition he’ll have me for the lead. This will be a career launcher for me.’

Mack and Kat stared at Antonia for a few seconds, flabbergasted by the woman’s rudeness, as she stared back with a triumphant expression on her face, convinced of her own superiority. Then brother and sister shared a look. The corners of Mack’s mouth started to tremble and mirth overtook his eyes when he looked from Kat, to Antonia, and back to Kat.

Kat started to shake her head at him when he turned to her again, expression turning into one of panicky nervousness. She could see where this was going and she didn’t like it one bit.

Shit, he wouldn’t listen. She knew he wouldn’t listen. He never fucking listened. Yup. There he went. Time to make an exit. She took a big step backwards, almost bowling over the empty table behind her.

Mack barked out a laugh.

‘Oh, lass, I think you’re about to be hit over the head by Karma.’ He stalked towards Kat, who had, by now, started to walk away quickly, hoping to disappear behind the bar. As she set the tray of glasses on the counter, he grabbed her hand, pulling her back to the table, ignoring her reluctance as she dragged her feet.

‘I think a few introductions are long overdue. I know my sister probably has no idea who you all are, because she’s spent the past ten years either buried under her study load, or buried in her writing, and not much else made it past her focus, so, to make things short;’ He pointed at the five people at the table one at a time while naming them. ‘Kat, these people are: Elsa Pataky and her husband, Chris Hemsworth, Robert Downey Jr, Tom Hiddleston,’ _-Wait, wasn’t his name Williams?!-_ ‘and Antonia… something. Famous actors, well, most of them. Anyway…' He glared at Antonia, who glared right back at him.

'Ladies, and Gentlemen; allow me to introduce to you, my sister, Katherine Teagan… Blackburn. Also known as resident genius and part-time waitress at MacKenzie’s, and writer extraordinaire, K.T. Blackburn.’

The first one to make a sound was Robert Downey Jr. -She _knew_ she’d recognised him! _Him_ she knew from a couple of films she’d seen as a teenager, a long time ago. Oh, and from a tv series she used to watch, Ally McBeal. He was older now, but still very handsome.- He let out a snicker that quickly turned into a full blown laugh. And then he just kept laughing. 

‘What? What kind of stupid joke is this?’ Antonia’s shrill voice sounded over mr Downey’s laughter. She looked positively livid as she looked back and forth between Mack and Kat, searching for an answer.

‘Oh, it’s not a joke, lady. You made your bed; now you have to lay in it.’ Mack assured her, gleefully. ‘Well, my work here is done. I’m off to the kitchen. Got things to cook, chefs to oversee. Feel free to stay for the rest of the night. Or not. Your dinner and drinks are on the house, peeps.’ And with that, he disappeared into the kitchen.

Kat was standing in silence next to the table, where its occupants were in various states of being. Mr Downey was still laughing his arse off. Mr Hemsworth and ms Pataky were visibly unsure of they were amused or appalled by the situation; although Kat could see how ms Pataky was trying to hide a smirk behind her hand. Mr Williams -Hiddleston? What kind of strange name was that?- was trying to calm down his date, who was about to go from apoplectic to downright nuclear in her indignation, getting louder by the second. They were starting to draw the attention from other patrons.

Kat sighed as she longingly looked at the door that Mack had disappeared through. Arsehole loved to stir up hornets nests left and right, and then just proceeded to watch the fallout from a safe distance. Kat grumbled under her breath and then turned on her heel. She wasn’t about to be caught in this fallout zone.

‘Sorry, bar duty calls. Gotta go. Enjoy your evening.’ With that she extracted herself from the situation.

She walked back to the bar, where a few patrons were waiting with their drinks orders. Before long, she was busy with filling the orders, flitting from one side of the bar to the other, mixing drinks and pulling ale.

She’d been at it for about fifteen minutes when she put an ale on the bar in front of one of their regulars and then came face to face with Antonia, who was almost shoving him to the side to get close enough to Kat to look her in the eye. The woman was red in the face and her expression was filled with ugly contempt. Behind her was Mr Hiddleston, trying in vain to distract his furious date. 

A long graceful finger was pointed Kat’s way.

‘You! You are a sad, old, short and _fat_ waitress! You are a disgusting liar and if you think I believe that you’re a genius writer like K.T. Blackburn, you’re even more stupid than I thought you were. You’ll be stuck in this shit-hole for the rest of your life, scampering for the scraps that rich people throw your way as you serve them, while _I_ will be living the highlife with all my rich friends, laughing at you and your small, pitiful existence.’

Kat looked Antonia dead in the eye, keeping her expression neutral. She’d not give the woman the satisfaction of losing her cool in front of the entire pub.

‘Okay, fine by me, do what you have to.’ She deadpanned, back ramrod straight, feeling shivers tingling along her spine, her insides in turmoil. Her fingers were digging into the dishrag she’d just used to dry glasses with, with a strength that made her knuckles white. 

The woman had stirred up a lot of feelings of inadequacy with her words; feelings that were residual from her youth, which had been spent in several abusive foster homes. Feelings that she’d worked so hard to suppress; feelings she'd tried to rise above and, with it, leave the paralysing self doubt behind. It was moments like these that sometimes set her back. They pulled her back to the child she had been. Incredibly lonely and heartbreakingly fragile.

It was looking like Mr Hiddleston had finally come to his senses concerning Antonia. He had a furious expression on his face as he closed his hand around the wrist of the hand that was still pointing at Kat, and pulled it away, and down.

‘Antonia! Enough!’ His voice was sharp and strained in his anger. ‘We’re leaving!’

Antonia’s face changed once she realised that she had crossed a line with mr Hiddleston, and proceeded to try and soothe her date.

‘But Tommy, you saw how they treated me. It’s their fault that I am so angry.’ She set her face to the pout again. It wasn’t working this time, though. Kat saw the man’s face turn dark with disgust.

‘Get your jacket. We’re done here.’

With an angry gesture and a frustrated sound, Antonia stomped back to the table and pulled on her jacket. Without saying anything to the other people at the table, she made her way to the exit, letting the door slam closed behind her, loudly, when she walked out.

The moment that the woman had removed herself from the premises, mr Hiddleston heaved a big sigh, and Kat could see how he reigned himself in as his expression changed from furious to apologetic. He leaned his tall frame over the bar and into her workspace. His big, warm, hands closed gently over hers, which were still clamped in tight fists, around the dishrag.

‘I am so very sorry for how she behaved. It’s inexcusable. Are you okay?’ His voice was low and gentle as his eyes perused her face.

Kat looked up at him with wide eyes; the warmth of his hands was spreading through her body and chasing away the shivers that had travelled up and down her spine. She nodded almost imperceptibly.

‘Um, yeah.’ she croaked.

He pulled his hands away and straightened up, once again on the other side of the bar. He sent her a hesitant and apologetic smile.

‘Again, I’m so, so sorry.’ 

Then he was gone. Out the door, running after Antonia.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elsa to the rescue.
> 
> Sometimes, Karma is a lovely woman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sandboxing... Is that a thing?
> 
> I own nothing.
> 
> I make no money with this.

**Chapter 3**

 

With shaking hands, Kat put the dishrag down on the counter. Tremors breaking out all over her body, after mr Hiddleston had taken his leave. Shite. She had to get out of the pub. Her breathing was going out of whack and she was already gasping. She looked at the door to the kitchen. Not an option. Mack was there. If he saw her like this, he’d lose his shit, and feel tremendously guilty for putting her in a position that had triggered her anxiety. The flat wasn’t an option either. She had to go through the kitchen to get there. 

Only one place left. The women’s toilets. 

Trying to keep her breathing under control, she waved at Mary, to indicate that she was going to the toilet. Mary nodded and made her way towards the bar. They usually covered each other when one of them had to use the toilet.

She crossed the pub at a hasty pace, not waiting for Mary to see her up close, and let out a groan of relief when she reached the door to the women’s toilets. Thankfully the room was empty. Her vision tunnelled when she reached the far corner, next to the wash basins. Turning her back to the corner, she pushed herself up against the cold tiles so they sort of hugged her from two sides, and then slid down into a crouch, folding her arms over her head and at the same time trying to suck in the much needed air that seemed to elude her. 

She didn’t know how long she sat there. It could have been minutes, it could have been hours; maybe only seconds. 

Her heart was pounding loudly in her chest and she felt dizzy and cold, while at the same time sweat pearled on her forehead and upper lip. All her energy seemed to be seeping away. She knew she had to get herself under control before someone came into the room. Something that put even more strain on her already stressed out psyche.

Trying to regulate her breathing, she breathed in deeply and slowly through her nose, and then out through her mouth. It felt like an eternity before she felt herself start to calm down.

Slowly but surely the shaking subsided, and she was able to breathe a little easier. 

She was about to try and get up when the door opened and a woman walked in. Startled, Kat looked up and saw the smaller woman from the group of actors enter the room. What was her name? Ms… Something with a P… 

The woman let out a gasp in fright and put a hand to her heart, when she saw Kat crouching in the corner. Then her gaze sharpened and Kat could see her start to analyse the situation.

‘Oh, dear, you gave me a fright. Are you okay?’ She asked and then reprimanded herself. ‘Of course you are not okay, what a silly question to ask. That Antonia woman was terrible to you.’ Her voice was soft and warm; her accent betraying her Spanish-speaking heritage. She bent down in front of Kat and reached out a hand to her. 

‘Come, let us get you cleaned up a bit, yes?

Kat let out a shuddering breath and nodded, taking the hand the other woman proffered. She must look a pitiful mess right now.

‘I’m sorry.’ The apology was automatic and had left her mouth before she even had the time to register it.

The woman looked at her incredulously.

‘Why are you apologising for something that is not your fault?’

‘I… I don’t know.’ And she didn’t. Not really. It was an almost pavlovian response that had been instilled in her in childhood. It doesn’t matter if you didn’t do anything wrong, apologise anyway, otherwise you might get hurt even more. 

‘That is because there is nothing to apologise for. It is okay to fall apart every now and then. It clears the mind and the heart, and gives you a foundation to build on. You were treated dreadfully tonight. I am the one who should be apologising to you. Myself, or my husband, should have intervened and said something when things escalated. So, I am very sorry I didn’t. I hope you can forgive me for that.’ She looked at Kat with a sincerely repentant expression on her face, and Kat couldn’t help but give her a watery smile. The woman was so sweet and caring.

‘Of course I forgive you.’ She said, completely disarmed by the woman’s approachable demeanour. 

Kat stood up with ms… - _Pataky! that’s her name_ -Pataky’s help and took a few wobbly steps to the sink. After taking a couple of steadying breaths, she turned on the water tap to let the cool liquid flow over her wrists and hands. She bent over and took a sip of water to wet her parched throat.

‘If you’ll just excuse me for a moment, I really have to use the bathroom.’ Ms Pataky said, just before stepping to one of the toilet stalls; an apologetic smile on her face.

Kat looked at her in the mirror.

‘Sure.’ She said and waved the woman on while she reached for one of the paper towels that were provided in a dispenser. Drying her hands, she inspected her makeup in the mirror. Thankfully she hadn’t been crying, so she only had a few smudges to fix. 

Sighing, she checked her hair and found that she’d made it through the panic attack relatively unscathed. It hadn’t been as severe as some others had been in the past. What did worry her, though, was that it had been many years since her last attack and she’d been almost completely convinced that she’d seen the last of those nasty buggers. Apparently she had been wrong. 

Thinking back on her day, she tried to pinpoint where the panic attack had originated, even though she knew that that would be futile. She’d been up against vile and verbally abusive customers before, and it hadn’t even registered on her stress scale at those times. 

Why had this encounter had such a devastating emotional impact on her usually quite balanced self-control? 

Was it the long hours she’d put in today? Maybe it was the writing she’d done. It had been quite the emotional roller coaster for her story’s heroine.

Shrugging to herself, she concluded that she might never know and was better off if she just let it go. 

_‘Days gone by without panic attack: zero.’_ she whispered to herself, as she reset the mental counter that, until today, had had so many days on it, she’d stopped counting them years ago. _‘fuck.’_

A toilet flushed and then ms Pataky emerged through the door. While she washed her hands she observed Kat silently through the mirror, her head slightly tilted to the left. It unsettled Kat a bit.

‘I think I saw you in a film, once.’ Kat blurted out, the words leaving her mouth before her mind had caught up to what she was doing.

An amused smile spread over the woman’s face.

‘That is entirely possible. What was the name of the movie?’

‘Um, I don’t really remember. I’m sorry. I was on a date and the guy loved action flicks. I think the storyline played out in South America and there was street racing. Lots of action. Oh, and there was this really big and muscled man who was a cop, or something. And so were you. You were really kick-ass. I liked that.’

‘Oh, that was Fast Five. And thank you. Always good to hear women approve of me being a kick-ass cop. Going from your vague description, I suspect you’re not really a film buff?’

‘Me? No, not really. I mean, I sometimes go to the cinema, but last time was three years ago, I think. Again, on a date.’ Kat reminisced and then chuckled. ‘I think you’re right. I’m not one to go to the cinema by myself. And I’ve been so busy with my studies and then my writing, I sometimes forget there’s more to life than getting lost in my own head.’ She sighed. ‘I really should get out more… Maybe now the third book is almost finished, I will have more time to travel.’

Ms Pataky narrowed her eyes playfully at Kat.

‘So, it is true then? You really _are_ K.T. Blackburn? Your brother was not making that up just to spite our little shrew Antonia?’

‘Oh, no, he was telling the truth. I am the elusive writer of the Pandemonium book series.’ Kat offered her hand, and a shy smile, to ms Pataky. ‘We haven’t been officially introduced, have we?… Hi, I’m Kat Blackburn, self-imposed reclusive academic and mysterious weaver of tales, nice to meet you.’ 

Ms Pataky snickered good-naturedly and accepted her hand as she played along.

‘Hello, ms Blackburn, my name is Elsa Pataky, actress, model, wife and mother to three little monsters. And, please, call me Elsa.’

‘Only if you call me Kat.’ Kat smiled a bit more spontaneously. She found the woman to be very agreeable. She radiated such genuine warmth and good humour that Kat took an instant liking to her. 

Remembering the tough and gutsy cop Elsa had played in Fast Five, and now meeting the woman in the flesh and finding her so friendly and soft, made Kat consider something.If she was a good enough actress to play tough and gutsy _and_ vulnerable and shy, then maybe… She sized the woman up. Same height as herself, maybe an inch shorter. Beautiful blue-green eyes, golden blonde hair with darker roots, a natural tan. And, of course, a slight Spanish accent… 

Elsa looked at her strangely when Kat silently observed her so sharply all of a sudden.

‘What?’ She asked, smiling curiously. ‘Do I have something on my face?’ Her hand went to her cheek as she looked into the mirror.

‘I was wondering… The production company that is interested in making my books into films, is looking for actresses to fill the leading roles. would you be interested in auditioning for Anna? I’d like to see you read for her part. I mean, if you were not going to, already, of course.’

Elsa’s eyes got big in surprise.

‘What? Are you serious?!’ her voice was suddenly breathless. ‘I didn’t think I would even be considered for the role. There are so many young actresses vying for that role that I didn’t even think I’d have a chance. I’m too old to play her.’

Now it was Kat’s turn to be surprised.

‘What do you mean? Too old?!’ She was flabbergasted by the certainty in the woman’s voice. ‘Anna is thirty-four, almost thirty-five, in the first book, thirty-five and thirty-six in the second and the third book will spread over three years of her life, so by the end of it she’s very close to forty. Oh, and please don’t divulge that information about the third book. Spoiler! The publisher will have my head if she finds out I told anyone anything... I think you’re in the perfect age range for the role. What makes you think you’re not?’

Elsa pulled a face.

‘I am forty years old; I will be forty-one in July. In the eyes of the showbiz industry I’m ancient. The only roles I’ll be able to land soon, will be those of mother, aunty or spinster, if I’m even lucky enough to get a role anymore.’ she sighed. ‘believe me, no-one would ever consider me for the part of Anna. My agent didn’t even get an invitation to send in my resume when they were looking for actresses to audition, and I won’t be surprised if none of the actresses they’re considering for Anna are over thirty.’

Kat was in complete disbelief. How could anyone dismiss this woman for being too old? She didn’t even look over forty. She looked like she was mid-thirties. And how was the fact that she was a great actress less important than the age on her resumé?!

The information she’d just been made aware of, made her angry for the injustice that was inflicted on older women in the entertainment industry. It also made her determined to ring the producer who had offered to buy up the filming rights to her books, and give him a piece of her mind on what she thought of their auditioning standards. 

They had already been having a back and forth on how much of the creative rights to the story she would retain after signing the contracts. The production company was trying to pressure her into giving them up completely, but she was adamant that she wanted a complete say in how her work would be put into a script and then into a series of films. It was her story and it was very important to her that the movie would stay as close to it as possible. And the fact that she’d now heard about actresses over thirty being excluded from the auditioning process, made her all the more determined to not hand over any of the rights until they had yielded to her demands.

Contracts hadn’t been signed yet, but the producers had gone ahead and sent out an audition call anyway; secure as they were that she’d soon sign over the filming rights. 

She wasn’t so sure, though. There would have to be a lot of concessions from the production company’s side, for her to sign any rights away.

‘Well, we’ll see about that.’ Her voice sounded harsh, even to her own ears. Elsa raised an eyebrow at the tone, and Kat quickly adjusted her demeanour and gave her a tightlipped smile. ‘I happen to think you’d be perfect to audition for Anna. And I want to see more women over thirty audition for that part and other parts in the films. I don’t want to see only twenty-something waifs prancing around in the world that I created.’ 

Elsa snickered at her words and the indignation in her voice. 

'And you know what? I’m the fecking writer of the whole series. What I say goes. I’m the one who owns all the rights to the books. I’m the one who decides in the end, no matter how much the bigwig producer nitwits would like to pretend differently.’

‘What do you mean? Didn’t they buy the filming rights to the books?’ Elsa stared at her in confusion.

Kat shrugged and then grinned evilly. 

‘Well, they tried, but they wanted too much leeway in respect to how to go about scripting the books, and I didn’t agree with their opinions. So, now, we’re still neck deep in negotiations; even though they’ve gone ahead and started the audition process. A bit prematurely, I admit, and I told them that, but they seemed very sure they’d be able to convince me to sign over the rights.

I’ll be flying to LA next week to sit in on the first rounds of auditions. I wonder if they have figured out yet that I’m not going to give in to their stupid demands.’ 

‘Something tells me they won’t know what hit them when you’re done with them.’ Elsa snickered.

Kat made a humming noise, leaning against the wall with her left shoulder and wondering about how easily she’d opened up to Elsa, while usually she was like a clam around new people; closed up and shy. She just hoped that all that she had divulged tonight wouldn’t backfire at a later point. Antonia's verbal attack on her person, had left her off kilter and it had caused her to chatter a bit too much… Maybe… Ah well, in for a penny… She fished her mobile out of the shallow pocket in her skirt.

‘So, tell me, do you want the audition?’

Elsa grinned like a mad woman as she nodded.

‘Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!’ The woman bounced on the balls of her feet in excitement.

Kat smiled at her childlike exuberance, getting pulled in by the happiness she radiated. Yes, Elsa was everything she’d envisioned Anna to be like. She hoped that the woman would be able to convey it to the big screen, and looked forward to her audition.

She dialled the number of her agent. Knowing that the woman was already in the States for another client. It only took three rings for her to answer.

‘Hi, Sharon. How’s LA?’

They exchanged the usual pleasantries and her agent reconfirmed her flight times and hotel arrangements for the next week. When they got talking about the auditions, Kat interrupted Sharon.

‘Yeah, Shar, that’s why I called. I have a request for an actress I’d like to see audition. I think she’d be a perfect fit for Anna.’

She listened to her agent sigh and then ask for the name of the actress.

‘Her name is Elsa Pataky. Tell the production company I want her on the list. There’s absolutely no wiggle room. She has to be on the list. If she’s not, I’m out. Completely.’

There was a silence and then there were a few sputters and Kat suspected Sharon had just choked on her coffee. 

_‘Are you serious?!’_

‘Yes, I’m serious, Shar. I want to see her.’

_‘Do you have any idea how much this will piss people off? No, wait, don’t answer that. Of course you know. Fine, I’ll try and fit her in. Does she have an agent in LA?’_

‘Um, okay, thanks, hon, just a moment. I’ll ask her.’ She looked up at Elsa, who was looking at her in complete astonishment. ‘Elsa, what is the name of your agent in LA?’

Elsa gave the information and Kat relayed it to Sharon. 

With a few more remarks about last minute stress and assurances that Elsa’s agent would receive the details for the audition within the next few hours, they rang off.

‘Okay, you’re in.’ Kat smiled and was completely taken aback when the other woman threw her arms around her and hugged her tightly. At first instance she stiffened and sucked in a breath in an instinctual reaction, but then she relaxed. There was no danger. This was not a large man crowding her; this was a woman, who was as tiny as she was and the woman was overcome with happiness. Nothing to be afraid of.

‘Oh my god! Oh my god! I can't believe this! This is fantastic! You’re awesome! Oh wow, I never thought I’d get a chance like this! Thank you!’ Elsa was babbling as she pulled back, her eyes shining and her face lit up like it was Christmas Morning come early. Kat smiled at her enthusiasm and felt happy that she’d done this -for her- small thing for Elsa.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did Kat land in the Twilight Zone?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sandboxing... It must be a thing.

**Chapter 4**

 

There was a knock on the door.

‘kat, hon, are you okay? You’ve been gone twenty minutes, and Mary’s getting worried you’ll never return. She’s quite distraught.’ Mack joked with a serious undertone.

Kat opened the door and looked up at her brother. Mack saw what was wrong, immediately, and his face fell.

‘Oh, no, shite. Kat. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have let the situation get out of hand like that.’ His hand came up to gently squeeze her shoulder to convey his regret.

Kat shook her head and gave Mack a reassuring smile as she patted his hand.

‘It’s okay. Elsa was here, so I wasn’t alone. And I’m fine now. Really.’

Mack raised an eyebrow at the two women.

‘Oh, it’s Elsa now, is it?’

Elsa stepped forward and proffered her hand with a smile.

‘Yes, it is. Hello, mr MacKenzie, I’m Elsa. Your sister is quite a remarkable woman.’

Mack took her hand and shook it.

‘Hello Elsa, I’m John MacKenzie, but you can call me Mack. And, yes, that she is.’ He smiled widely and turned up the charm level to five hundred by exaggerating his Scottish accent; his bright blue eyes twinkling mischievously. 

Kat snorted and grabbed his wrist to pull his hand away from Elsa’s; the woman looked slightly dazed from the full blown charm offensive Kat’s comely, redheaded big brother seemed to have going on all of a sudden. Really, the man was forty-one, but he was as much a flirt as he had been in his younger years, and was still too ruggedly good-looking for his own good.

‘That’s enough, Mack. Begone with yer charming ways, the woman is happily married to a handsome lad and mother to three wee bairn. She no be interested in the likes of you.’ Hah, there was her Scottish accent again.

Mack grabbed his chest over his heart in mock indignation, answering her with a thick Scottish brogue, heavy enough to compete with Kat’s.

‘You wound me, lass. It was just a wee bit of fun. Meant no harm by it.’ He winked at Elsa, who by now had recovered and sent him a appreciative grin. ‘Now, if ye are done here, maybe you can get back to work. Lots of orders to fill at the bar, lass. Let’s go.’

‘Actually, Mack, if you could spare her a bit longer, I’d like to borrow her for a few minutes. We have to exchange a couple of details.’ 

Mack looked at Elsa, puzzled.

‘Eh, yeah, sure. But make sure she’s back at the bar soon, we’re a bit understaffed tonight.’

Elsa nodded in understanding.

‘No problem. She’ll be back before you know it.’ She grabbed Kat’s hand and pulled her past Mack, who was looking inquiringly at his sister. Kat half shrugged to indicate that she didn’t know what was going on, either.

Kat was dragged along by Elsa, towards the table where her husband and mr Downey were still sitting, quietly conversing over a beer and a Coke. 

The woman was way stronger than she looked, Kat had to give her that. Which would be a plus if she was chosen for the part of Anna. The woman who was cast to play the heroine of Kat’s stories had an intensely physical role to play. 

When they arrived at the table, Elsa plonked down next to her husband and pulled Kat with her, pushing her down on the nearest chair.

‘Hello, gentlemen.’ She grinned like the cat that ate the canary.

The men looked up from their conversation. Both men’s eyes immediately traveled to where Kat was sitting. It made her a bit uncomfortable to be scrutinised by two such handsome specimens of the male gender.

‘I think you remember Kat, from earlier.’

‘Of course we do, darling.’ The broad shouldered, blonde man said to his wife. Hemsworth, Kat thought his name was. He extended his hand to her, smiling broadly. ‘Hello there, I’m Chris.’ 

Kat accepted his big hand, which dwarfed hers, and gave him a polite smile.

‘Hi, I’m Kat.’ Shyly she pulled her hand back. Wow, Elsa’s husband was as gorgeous as she was.

Another hand was extended into her field of sight. She looked up, right into the warm, brown eyes of mr Downey. 

A nervous flutter went through her tummy. She used to have an enormous crush on the man, when she'd been in her late teens and early twenties. Remembering that time was both bittersweet and nightmarish. 

Her life in the early two-thousands was at the darkest it had ever been. There had been one thing that had given her some semblance of peace, and that was the escape that the Ally McBeal series had offered her for one hour every week. Even more so when Robert Downey Jr had joined the cast. How much had she loved his energy and charm on the screen. 

When he was written out of the series, because of his drug habit and irresponsible behaviour, she’d been gutted. 

In him she’d seen a likeminded soul, struggling with addiction and self-destructive behaviour, but still succeeding to have a successful life; giving her hope that all could be well for her too... Until it had exploded in his face. 

It had been because of him that she’d sought out help. At first she had spiralled down at a dizzying speed. She knew she was going the same way as he was. Hurtling towards total destruction. Until, suddenly, news came that he was sober, and in a healthy relationship and happy, and she saw that even if you were hitting rockbottom, and you couldn’t see a way out, there still was hope. Even for the lost souls of the world. If only you worked for it and kept on going, not giving up. She then found that she wanted to live. She chose to live. To fight. And so she did. With lots of set backs and bad days and weeks and months, but she’d come through it, stronger than she'd ever thought she could be.

And now she was meeting the man who, unknowingly, had saved her life. A shuddering breath left her as she accepted his hand. 

‘I’m alive because of you.’ She blurted out. Not what she thought she’d say, but, okay. She blinked as her eyes were suddenly damp with emotion. This meeting just hit her right where it hurt, especially after her episode in the ladies toilets, earlier.

He gazed at her, mouth slightly ajar, looking surprised. Apparently it was not what he had expected her to say, either. She felt the need to explain further, not wanting to keep him -or Elsa and Chris for that matter- in the dark. 

She pulled her hand out of his and flicked open the button on her sleeve cuffs; pulling up her left sleeve to the elbow, revealing more than a few jagged scars from botched and inflamed needle puncture marks on the soft inside of her elbow joint and her lower arm.

His eyes flew from the marks to her face and back; the blood draining from his face. She knew that he could determine from the marks how far gone she’d been at her worst.

‘I’m so sorry.’ He whispered as he gently took her left arm in his right hand and then touched the scars with his left. He was obviously as overcome with emotion as she was. ‘May I give you a hug?’ He asked as he stood up.

Kat nodded and also stood. Then she was in his arms. He folded his arms around her, giving her a hug that, for once, didn’t trigger a flight response. 

‘You’re clean now, yes?’ He whispered hoarsely next to her ear. She nodded again, not trusting her voice. ‘I’m so proud of you. How long has it been?’ He pulled back and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. 

‘Twelve years, this coming August.’ Her voice was small, but proud.

‘Why did you say that you are alive because of me?’ He sounded puzzled, as if he couldn’t fathom how much of an impact his struggle to get clean could have had on someone who lived not even in the same country as he did.

‘I was a big fan of Ally McBeal when you appeared in that series. I became a fan of you and your character. I guess I… identified with you.’ She rubbed the scars on her arm in thought. ‘When I saw how your habit fucked up everything in your life, but you still kept fighting, and then eventually got sober, and built up your life again from scratch, well, it gave me the hope and the strength to do the same. Knowing that you hit rock bottom and refused to stay down, standing back up and clawing your way back into the light; winning back all you had lost. It kept me going, through some pretty messed up stuff. 

‘And look at me now. Two masters degrees and on my way to become a relatively well-known author. Something that wouldn’t have been possible if I hadn’t stumbled over you and your story. I’d probably be dead now. So, thank you for being such an inspiration.’ She looked at him with honesty and gratitude shining from her eyes, and she could see that he was overwhelmed with emotion as he let out a shuddering breath.

‘Are you really trying to make me cry? Because if that’s the case, I don’t like you very much.’ He jested and hugged her again.

‘Never listen to what someone says, pay attention to what they do…’ Kat teased as she leaned into his warmth. He was still hugging her and it didn’t feel as if he disliked her. It also didn’t feel threatening to her. It felt more like hugging her older brother. The crush from her youth had somehow transformed into feelings of friendship towards this snarky and infinitely complicated man, who had had such an impact on the broken girl she’d once been. 

‘I hope you do realise that everything you've overcome and everything that you are now… it has nothing to do with me… that was all on your own merit. The getting clean and staying sober, the going to university, the working on your future. You did that, not me.’ He appeared to be adamant that she understood what he was saying. And she did. 

‘I know. You were just the catalyst that set things in motion.’ She sighed and leaned away from him, taking a step back. ‘So, how about those introductions, huh? Hello, mr Downey, I’m Kat Blackburn. It’s an honour to meet you.’ 

He grabbed her hand and shook it with a firm grip. A look of mutual respect and understanding passing between them.

‘Please don’t call me that. Makes me feel old. For you it’s Robert, or Bob, whichever you prefer, understood?’

She let go of his hand and nodded.

‘Sure.’

Kat turned to Elsa and Chris, who were visibly moved by what had just transpired.

‘So, Elsa, what were those details that you wanted to exchange?’ she asked.

Elsa made a small -half distressed, half pleased- keening sound.

‘You guys, that was so intense. And so beautiful. And I’m so sorry you had to go through all what happened to you, Kat. And I’m so happy everything is going so well for you now.’ Her hands fluttered as she spoke.

‘Elsa? Details? Exchange?’ Kat asked, slightly amused and mollified by the woman’s sweetness.

‘Oh, yes, sorry. I think we should exchange phone numbers and maybe the contact info of our agents. That way we can keep in contact if anything goes wrong with planning the audition, or with the communication with the production company.’

Kat tilted her head.

‘Hm, that’s quite a good idea, actually. God knows what those troglodyte twats will pull next, when they find out I got you into the auditioning process. Wankers.’ She pulled out her phone and unlocked it.

Bob Downey snickered.

‘I really like your choice of words, Betty.’

All three turned to him.

‘Betty?’ Kat deadpanned, raising an eyebrow at him.

Bob grinned.

‘You look like Betty Boop… In a good way! In a good way!’ He added quickly when he saw both women’s dark looks. ‘What? No? Okay. _Okay_. Katie, then. That alright with you? Katie?’

Kat huffed.

‘Fine.’ And she turned back to Elsa; exchanging numbers and contact-info with her. 

Chris stepped in and also gave his phone number to Kat.

‘In case you can’t reach Elsa, you can call me, Okay?’

Kat felt a bit overwhelmed.

‘Guys, I don’t know if this is wise. I feel flattered and all, but, I mean, you don’t really know me, and you’re giving me your contact info. What if I sold it on the internet or something?’

Elsa tilted her head in thought.

‘Well, are you?’ She inquired.

‘Am I what.’ Kat frowned.

‘Going to sell our contact info on the internet.’

‘No, of course not! I’d never do something so underhanded.’

‘Well, there you go.’

And that was that. After exchanging all the information, Kat was ready to return to work and started saying goodbye.

Until…

…Bob butted in.

‘Wait, you were talking about having trouble with the production company?’

‘Um, yes. They are trying to wrestle the creative rights to my books away from me, along with the filming rights, and I’m not having it. They just don’t seem to understand that no means no, and they keep putting me under pressure. It sucks.’

Bob’s expression darkened.

‘That’s not how things are done. It’s not right. Who are you working with?’

Kat offered up the name of the production company. It was quite famous and had a few blockbusters under their belt.

Bob frowned.

‘But they only have filming rights, right? Please tell me you haven’t handed them the keys to the kingdom yet?’ He seemed a bit anxious.

Kat shook her head, giving him a crooked smile.

‘Nope on the film rights and nope on the kingdom. From the moment they started trying to wrestle the creative rights away from me, I refused to sign anything they put in front of me. I think they see it as beginners cold feet, and seem sufficiently convinced that I’ll sign eventually, when I warm up to the money they’re offering. They even started the auditioning process for the main characters already. I told them I thought that was overly optimistic, but they seemed to disagree. They’re a pair of beginner hustlers if you ask me.’ She shrugged. ‘I used to hustle money from people, to buy drugs, I’m not going to be bested by a bunch of amateurs; no matter how expensive or intimidating their lawyers are.’

Bob looked at her disbelievingly.

‘Are you saying those idiots went ahead with the project, without having obtained filming rights?’

Kat crossed her arms and nodded.

‘Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. They seem very sure that I’ll sign eventually. They’re trying to drown me in legal mumbo jumbo. Stacks upon stacks of legal papers I’m supposed to read and sign. I think, that they think, that if they wear me down enough with all the paperwork, I’ll sign.  They think I’m a stupid ex-junkie who has a penchant for storytelling and a need of money. Well, what they didn’t take into consideration is, that if there is one thing I know how to do, it is surviving on very, very, little money. I think they’ve gone a bit cuckoo from all that power they perceive themselves to have.

‘Anyway, little do they know that I have a bachelors degree in Language and Culture and _masters degrees_ in Comparative Literature and Classics. While those are not related to law, per se, they _have_ taught me that the way something is written down is very important. Commas and periods are especially tricky. 

‘Those legal papers pertaining the creative rights to my books? Well, if I sign, I sign over the complete rights to not only those three books, but also to any sequels, prequels and/or spinoffs I manage to produce, for the coming five years. I’ll be condemning myself to serfdom for half a decade.’ She sighed. ‘I’m very much of a mind to pull out of it. I don’t feel comfortable working with them anymore.’ Rubbing her hands over her arms and staring down at the table in thought, she continued. ‘But I also want to see this project come to fruition. See my characters come to life. See them live their lives and have their adventures on the big screen. It's quite the dilemma.’

It was silent for a few moments. Each of them in thought about what they’d heard.

Bob frowned and drummed his fingers on the table in a very fast rhythm, then looked up; suddenly full of giddy energy.

‘If you really want out, but still tell the story, I might know a solution. Maybe I could be of service.’

‘I’m sorry, what?’ Kat was confused.

‘I’ll have to consult with my team, of course, but I might have a solution to your problem.’

‘Oooo-kay?’ She wasn’t sure what he was on about. 

He handed her a business card with his contact info. 

What was it with these famous people and them giving her, a relative stranger, their phone numbers and other important information? Didn’t they have any semblance of self-preservation?

‘Could you text me your number, please?’ Bob asked.

Kat did as he asked and texted her number to the number on the business card. A ping was heard, and Bob proceeded to put her number in his contacts list.

Her number was in Robert Downey Jr’s contacts list. On his phone. On. his. personal. phone.

The fuck was going on with her life? She felt a bit dazed as she realised how utterly surreal this was. It was like she was… _No!_

She frantically pulled up both her sleeves, checking the skin of her arms. No puncture wounds. _Thank the gods_.

‘What are you doing?’ Elsa asked, observing her sudden panic and then relief.

‘Checking if I was high.’ She said, sagging in her chair.

‘Why would you do that?’ Chris asked.

‘Well, do you have any idea how completely surreal this all is? The only explanation that I could think of, was that I’d relapsed. Which is not the case, thank god.’ She waved her arms in front of them. 

Her gaze caught Bob’s and she knew that he knew what she was feeling. She saw understanding and compassion in his eyes.

‘Don’t worry, darling. I can assure you that this still is the real world. With all its ugly parts right there with the good ones.’ He said. ‘Maybe it’s just time you got to the good parts after fighting through all the bad.’

Kat nodded hesitantly. Maybe he was right.

She suddenly saw Mack waving her to the bar and she realised it had taken longer that she’d anticipated to swap info with Elsa. And with Chris. And with Bob. She waved back at her brother and stood up from her chair.

‘If you’ll excuse me, I really do have to get back to work. Elsa, I’ll speak to you later, I think, and if not, I’ll see you next week in LA. Chris, it’s been very nice meeting you. Bob, let me know when you’re able to tell me a bit more about that solution you’re so proud of and not inclined to tell me about right now. 

'Dinner and drinks are on the house for you three tonight, so have at it.’ She winked and turned on her heel to make her way back to the bar.

‘I love your books.’ That did not come from the one she expected -which would have been Elsa-.

She turned around and stared at Bob, open-mouthed.

‘What?’

‘Your books. I love them. They’re unbelievably well written and the characters are all so lifelike and beautifully flawed. Your books, your stories, they really are art. And I’m glad that you’re still here to tell them.’

Tears came to her eyes as she gazed down at him.

‘Thank you.’ She whispered, bending her head to him in gratitude, giving him a smile full of emotion, before quickly walking back to her place behind the bar, and begin to make the outstanding drink orders that Mary had been unable to fill. The thirsty patrons kept her busy until the end of the night, and the only glimpse she saw of the trio that had turned her life upside down in one night, was when they were leaving and waved at her in goodbye, making gestures with their hands that they would be in touch.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat is flying to LA. 
> 
> Why can't her flight just be quiet and tranquil? Is that too much to ask?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I Sandbox in my Sandbox.
> 
> Don't own a thing.
> 
> Make no money.
> 
> Dammit.

**Chapter 5**

 

_ Wednesday, 15 March 2017, 14:30, London, Heathrow Airport _

 

The following Wednesday, Kat found herself at Heathrow Airport, and en route to Los Angeles. After showing the steward at the entrance her boarding pass, Kat was very politely welcomed to the Concorde Room; only accessible when you had a membership card or if you were flying first class. Kat was flying first class. Freaking. first. class. She was feeling giddy with excitement.

What a different experience this was, compared to the one time she and Mack had flown to Ibiza for a much needed holiday. That had consisted of queuing for an hour and a half in front of a check-in desk that was manned by an overworked airline employee, and then again waiting in a long queue at the security check, which was manned by cranky security officers, waiting in overcrowded waiting areas, along with other tired and grumpy passengers, and queuing for the toilets, and then a long, long flight, cramped together with hundreds of fellow humans, like sardines in a can.

This time around she’d been accompanied by a friendly stewardess from the moment she’d stepped out of the town car, which had picked her up at the pub and driven her to the airport in blissfully silent luxury. 

Kat had breezed through her check-in at the designated British Airways First check-in desks, and then made her way through fast track security. She’d been the only passenger at that time and everyone working security had been very nice and relaxed, in spite of her forgetting to remove her phone from her pocket before she went through the scanner. _Oops_.

Also, the fact that she didn’t have to show up two to three hours before the plane left, was ideal. With only thirty minutes to spare until boarding, she decided to check out the famous Concorde Room. She might never get the chance again. 

This whole trip, including the first class flight and a luxury hotel in LA, was sponsored by the production company that wanted to buy the rights to her books. They were wining and dining her before they expected her to put out, so to speak. Grooming her into signing the contracts, by showing her the luxury she’d be able to afford when she did.

Although she secretly confessed to herself that she could get used to traveling like this, it wasn’t enough to convince her to just sign her life away for the next five years. Did they really think she was that gullible? She knew people perceived her as having a sweet disposition, and being a bit of a pushover, but that was because she mostly couldn't be arsed to care, or worry, about trivial things. Things that other people usually found so important.

Pulling herself out of her head and into the present again, she looked around the Concorde Room to get her bearings. Oh, wow, was that a buffet? A complementary buffet? Cool! Too bad she’d had lunch with Mack, before she left home, and boarding was soon starting. If she’d know about it, she’d shown up earlier.

Deciding to sit down and relax for a bit, she pulled her carry on suitcase along and walked past a few booths which were occupied with business men, who were immersed in whatever they were working on on their respective laptops. The booths were quite private and had not much of a view, but she could see how people would choose to hang out here instead of on the busier balcony. 

Looking for an unoccupied booth, she sauntered along. Until she stopped in her tracks.

Wait… Was that?… She narrowed her eyes and looked closer. Yes, it was. There, not five meters away from her, was mr Hiddleston. His head with the curly, dark blond hair was bowed over a stack of papers as he read whatever was on them. He was scribbling a few notes in the margins, eyebrows drawn together in concentration. 

She couldn’t help but admire the elegance of his large, slender hands, as one was splayed partly on the table and partly on the paper, while the other was gripping a pen between long, dexterous fingers as he wrote down another remark. 

His wide shoulders and broad chest were clad in a dark blue, long sleeved, finely knit sweater with a v-neck, which revealed the black t-shirt he was wearing underneath. His long legs were encased in black jeans and on his feet he had grey suede shoes. Hm, large feet… large hands… Kat suppressed a snicker. _Nope, not going there, no matter how attractive the man is._ She reprimanded herself.

Then she realised she’d just been standing there for god knows how long, staring at the handsome man in the booth. _Oops_. She quickly resumed her pace and walked a bit faster when she passed him, hoping -and succeeding in her endeavour- that he wouldn’t notice her. 

She had no desire to become reacquainted with him after the cluster-fuck drama night she’d had with his girlfriend this past Saturday. He really had an abominable taste in women, if that Antonia girl was the standard for women he usually dated.

Changing her mind about finding a booth, she made her way to the Concorde Room Balcony and filled the next twenty minutes or so with watching the airplanes arriving and departing at the A gates, while nibbling on a chocolate chip cookie she’d snatched from the dessert buffet on her way out onto the balcony. 

The weather was good, so hopefully takeoff would be smooth. This was the second time in her entire life that she travelled by airplane. The first time being that nightmarishly busy flight to Ibiza. She had to admit she was a tiny bit nervous. Especially now that she didn’t have her brother by her side to reassure her that all was well.

At ten minutes to three, she decided to head to her gate and hoisted her laptop backpack on her back and grabbed her carry-on trolley. Apparently her flight left from Terminal Five, C-building, and she’d have to take a train to get there. 

When she walked through the Concorde Room towards the escalators, she noticed that mr Hiddleston was still in his booth -his left boot and part of his jean clad leg were sticking out from under the table-. Apparently he had another flight to catch than she did, otherwise he’d be leaving by now, she concluded. She decided to make a little detour as not to bump into him.

Thankfully the trains to the Five C terminal were easy to find. All in all it took her fifteen minutes to get to the gate and boarding for First had only just started.

When she entered the plane, she was awed by its size. The First class space, located in the front section of the plane, was huge. There were only fourteen seats -or suites, as they were called- in this cabin.

A flight attendant accompanied her to her seat; a suite with two large windows on the right side of the cabin. Apart from her, there was only one other occupant in the First class cabin, an older business man who had a seat on the other side of the cabin, at the left side window seats. Well, this was going to be a quiet flight if it was only the two of them. 

Maybe she’d even get some sleep in. Sleep she’d missed from laying awake half the night, worrying about the flight, and about her trip to LA. She wasn’t looking forward to meeting the producers. At all. 

What at first had looked like a lucky break, had now seemingly become a nightmare. If things didn’t improve with this trip, she was going to pull out of the production, taking her books and the filming rights and her creative rights right along with her.

After the flight attendant had taken her leave, Kat settled down in the comfy seat and started playing with the controls next to it. The seat reclined! Like, all the way! Wow! She was _so_ going to sleep later.

The stewardess had stored her carry-on suitcase and laptop backpack in a special locker that was integrated in the suite. Handy. 

Kat hung her coat in the designated coat cupboard, which also held her shoes after she took them off. Yay, wiggly toes. 

She slipped on the complimentary airline slippers and zipped open the flowery pouch that the stewardess had handed her. It held lots of mini toiletries. From lip balm to face mist, and a toothbrush, and toothpaste. How convenient.

She looked around, searching. Didn’t this luxury seat come with a table of some kind?  
After a few tries and pushes on buttons, that did not result in a table, she pulled out a foldout table from the side of the suite. She then set out all the minis from the amenity kit, trying out a few of them. Oh, the hand lotion was lovely. It smelled like lavender and made her hands feel satin soft.

Was she allowed to take it all with her when she left the plane? The pouch it all came in was just lovely. She’d have to ask the flight attendant later.

At about five minutes until push back, there was a slight commotion behind her. A latecomer? She was almost tempted to stand up and look, but caught herself in time. That wouldn’t be very sophisticated first class etiquette, would it? Right.

The flight attendant passed her suite and was followed by a tall man… Wearing a lightly padded -didn’t they call that ‘quilted’?- dark blue jacket, black jeans and grey suede shoes.

Kat’s eyes widened in shock as she observed him being shown to the seat -suite- right in front of hers. Fuck. _He_ was on her flight. How was he on her flight? Oh, right, a flight to LA. Made sense, as he was apparently a famous actor, according to her brother. But was it really too much to ask for a quiet and uneventful flight? A flight without seeing any familiar people?

_Don’t look. Don’t look. Don’t look._ The mantra played through her head as she heard him talk to the flight attendant. Whether she was willing herself not to look, or him, she didn’t really know.

To keep busy, she started to pile the amenity kit’s minis -which were still on her folding table- back into the pouch. She was a bit too eager in her endeavour, and one of the small glass containers with moisturiser slipped out of her suddenly jittery hands, and fell to the floor with a resounding plonk and then rolled away. Frozen in dread, she followed it with her eyes, until it came to a stop against the side of a grey suede shoe, with an audible tap. _Shite_.

There was a rustling of clothes when the owner of said shoe bent down and a big hand with long fingers came into her field of vision, when it picked up the offending object.

She followed the container with her eyes as it was deposited back on her table and then looked up into those bright blue eyes of his. God, they were even bluer than she remembered.

He smiled politely at her, like one would smile at a stranger, and looked away, back at the flight attendant. Kat thought she was home free, and was about to heave a soft sigh of relief, when he froze and turned back to her to do a double take. He frowned, clearly trying to remember where he’d seen her before.

And then came the recognition. Yup, there it was. His eyebrows rose in surprise and a slight smile played around his lips.

‘Kat? You’re Kat, right? From the pub, the other night?’ 

Well, at least he seemed to be a semblance of happy to see her…

Kat could see how he might have a bit of trouble recognising her. He’d only seen her the one time after all, and it had been a very confusing and stressful night. She’d also looked a bit different in her work clothes than she did now. 

She was wearing powder pink yoga pants and a hot pink, tight tank top, covered by an oversized, light grey, off the shoulder sweater. Her hair was hanging loose around her face, the damp weather having turned the usually soft waves into a riot of curls, and her face was completely makeup free. And then she wasn’t even going to mention the colourful shoulder and upper arm tattoo that peeked out of the sweater’s super wide neckline which left her right shoulder bare.

When she'd left home for the airport, she’d looked in the mirror in the pub hallway and had concluded that she looked casually disheveled, like she’d just spent a rainy Sunday on the couch, reading books and drinking tea. 

What she’d actually done, was find the most comfy clothes she had for a twelve hour flight, and put them on; opting out of applying any makeup, which would be smeared by the time she touched down in LA, anyway.

Looking up at him she nodded.

‘Yes, that’s me.’ The melodic tones of her Scottish accent were back in full force. Probably from the shock of seeing him again. _Fucking stupid anxiety_.

In a brusque movement that startled her, he held out his hand for her to shake.

‘I’m so sorry for not properly introducing myself before. Hello, I’m Tom Hiddleston.’ He smiled down at her, apparently not having noticed her slight flinch when his hand had shot out towards her so unexpectedly.

Hesitantly, she accepted his handshake; her small hand almost disappearing in his large one.

‘Hello, mr Hiddleston, I’m Kat Blackburn.’

He recovered quickly from the surprise that came with discovering that it was her real name, and that she, as a logical result, really was K.T. Blackburn, the rising star in the world of fantasy writers. She had to give him that. There was only a very, very, slight wilting of his smile before it was back in full force. If she had blinked she would have missed it.

‘Please, call me Tom. Is it okay if I call you Kat?’ 

‘Uh, sure.’ Kat answered, not really certain about what she thought of the man. 

He seemed friendly and open, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was looking at a mask. It was not that she sensed any danger or animosity emanating from him, but there was something more there, something that she couldn’t pinpoint. Something that told her that the man had a shell around him, that he showed the world, but there was so much more underneath it. 

It sparked her curiosity. She couldn’t help it, she was intrigued. _Ugh, not good. Bad Kat._

The flight attendant, who had been waiting very patiently until now, stepped in before either Tom or she were able to say anything more.

‘I’m sorry, mr Hiddleston, you will have to take your seat now. We’re about to push back from the gate.

Tom looked away from Kat and she sighed, relieved to be released from the focus of that intense gaze.

‘Oh, of course, I’m sorry for holding you up.’ He turned back to Kat. ‘I’m sorry, gotta take a seat. We’ll talk more later, okay?’

Kat nodded and gestured with her hand for him to go ahead and sit down. He sent her a quick grin and then he disappeared behind the partition wall.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Intrigues on a plane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A flying Sandbox. That's an idea...
> 
> Nothing owned.
> 
> Nothing gained.

**Chapter 6**

 

Takeoff was unbelievably smooth. Especially when you took in account the size of the airplane. It was the biggest she’d ever seen in person. It had two passenger decks.

The uneventful takeoff wasn’t enough for her to relax, and let go of the armrests of her seat, until the plane straightened out and the ‘fasten seatbelt’ sign was turned off, though. Until that moment, her hands held on tight, the knuckles turning white. She really didn’t like flying. Or, at least, she didn’t like takeoff. 

After the plane straightened when it was at altitude, she relaxed. It wasn’t very different from traveling by train or boat. They were gliding through the air and the cabin was very well insulated. She almost couldn’t hear the engines from where she sat. 

The atmosphere in the cabin was also very tranquil, and with so many empty seats around her, it felt so spacious.

If it wasn’t for the occasional soft rustling of papers from the man in the seat in front of her, she would have thought that she was the only one there.

Apparently, mr Hiddleston had some work to do, she concluded, when she heard the whispering sound of pages being set aside and the scratching of a pen on paper. So, the talk later, would be later.

She mentally shrugged. Might not be a bad idea to get some work in, now that they were airborne. It would pass the time until it was time for dinner. 

The flight attendant chose that moment to come by and ask her if she wanted anything to eat or drink, so she ordered an apple juice and some water and took the opportunity to ask the woman to help her retrieve her laptop bag from the storage cupboard. She’d tried to open it before, but it wouldn’t budge. Apparently there was a trick to it and she felt like a bit of a bint when she saw how simple it was.

The flight attendant assured her that she wasn’t the only one who had trouble with the locking mechanism, when she saw how stupid Kat felt, and attentively helped her with setting up her laptop and attaching it to the charging station that was hidden under a lid that was located next to the armrest at her right side.

Her drinks were brought swiftly and she received a small bowl of assorted nuts to go with it. Before she knew it, she was immersed in Anna’s world, and typing away at a chapter that started out hilarious, but eventually turned rotten and then went from bad to worse.

When she emerged from her head, it was over an hour and a half later. She fought to keep her sobs quiet, as tears rolled down her cheeks. She was reeling from the devastation that had just occurred in her story. 

Shit, that was not how she’d imagined the book would go. It sure as hell wasn’t how she’d outlined the third book. But now that she had written it all down, she couldn’t imagine it being any other way. 

And, as she was nearing the end of writing this book, it meant the third book was not the last. There would be another. 

_Wow._

A shuddering breath left her, as she wiped at the tears on her cheeks, and stared at her laptop screen in wonder. She sniffed and then hiccupped. 

Suddenly a shadow appeared in the ‘doorway’ to her suite and she startled; a shock travelling down her spine, making her flinch away from the dark presence, visibly.

Her gaze flew to the tall man, who was now crouching down next to her, a concerned look on his face. She was grateful that he made an effort not to touch her -she suspected that he _did_ notice her flinch at his proffered hand, earlier. And the one at his sudden appearance, just now.

‘Are you alright?’ His voice was a low whisper, tone warm, as his eyes took in her dishevelled state. She must look a mess, with her face all splotchy from crying. 

‘Um, yeah, sorry about this.’ She gestured at herself and then looked at her laptop screen. ‘Something bad happened in my story and I wasn’t expecting the plot twist.’

Mr Hiddleston looked from Kat, to the laptop, which showed the text of her next book, and then back to her again. 

‘Ah, you were crying over something you read?’ His face was understanding and he nodded, like it was something that happened to him regularly. Well, who was she to judge. If he liked to read, it wasn’t such a long stretch to assume he also cried over sad stories, just like she did.

Kat shook her head.

‘No, it was something I wrote. Something really bad happened.’ Her eyes were wide and wet with unshed tears, her eyelashes clinging together with moisture, as she looked at him.

There was a smile on his lips when he tilted his head and observed her.

‘So, you really are K.T. Blackburn, then?’

Kat nodded and shrugged.

‘In the flesh.’

‘So, what happened in the book that it has you so distraught?’ He raised his eyebrows and had a neutral expression on his face.

She opened her mouth to answer, but caught herself in time. That sneaky bastard!

‘Oh, that is manipulative, mr Hiddleston! I see what you’re doing there. Trying to get me to disclose spoilers to the third book, are you?’

‘Can’t blame a man for trying.’ His innocent expression gave way to the devilish grin of a man who knew exactly what he was doing -extracting secret information from an unsuspecting author-. It gave her a tiny peak at the man behind the friendly and polite mask. The more she talked to him, the more intrigued she became.

He sobered and continued a bit more seriously. 

‘I really enjoyed the first two books. They were incredibly well-written, with three-dimensional characters and a believable symbiosis between the hidden, mythical world and what most of us perceive as “reality”. I love how you incorporate so many ancient myths and legends into the story. I’m very much looking forward to the last instalment of the series.’

Kat felt a blush creep up her neck and cheeks at his praise. She knew that her books usually got good reviews, some even raving ones, in the press, but to hear it in person, from another human being, was always more real, and more satisfying, somehow.

‘Thank you.’ She smiled at him, and felt how her cheeks were dry and itchy from her crying. ‘For that lovely review of my books, I will grant you a boon. The third book isn’t the last instalment. I have just discovered that there will be a fourth book in the series. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to wash my face… And recover from the horror of breaking down in front of someone I don’t know, in the privacy of the airplane bathroom.’ She jokingly added with a slightly apologetic smile, as she grabbed the pouch with the moisturisers and other toiletries and made to get up from her seat.

mr Hiddleston slowly -as not to startle her, she suspected- laid a hand on her underarm to stall her and she halted her movements. She could feel the warmth of his palm burn through her sweater, giving her goosebumps, and a bunch of butterflies exploded in her tummy when she looked into his ocean blue eyes. 

‘Do you have any idea how incredible it is to me that I've met someone with such a unique passion for their art, as you have displayed? You live your books as you write them, feeling them just as deeply as if it was real, and that is such an exceptional gift. Never lose that quality of being real, and honest, and showing the depth of your feelings. And never, ever, apologise for it.’ He said earnestly. ‘There are too many people wearing masks in this world, as it is.’ 

Kat stared at him, wide eyed. The man had a beautiful voice, and a way with words that had her almost mesmerised. She took a deep breath as she mentally shook the enchantment off and gave him a small smile. Nodding at his words.

‘Duly noted.’ Was all she could say when he moved away to give her the space to stand. 

Now that they were both standing and he was so close to her, it hit home how tall he actually was. She was on her slippers and he was in his socks and he towered above her. The top of her head barely reaching past his shoulder.

Of course her brain-mouth connection decided, at that precise moment, to remove any and all filters that were in place. 

‘Wow, you really _are_ a giant, aren’t you, Coeus?’

Tom -she was going to call him Tom, mr Hiddleston was such a mouthful- blinked down at her with surprise written all over his face. Shite, did she just insult him? She hadn’t meant to say that, it just slipped out.

Then he started snickering, which turned into a full-blown laugh, his eyes dancing with mirth.

‘Would that make you Puck, then? A spirited story-weaver?’ He teased, the tip of his tongue appearing between his teeth as he grinned at her.

She flippantly threw her head back in mock indignation; deciding that this game was fun.

‘The name is Blackburn, you troglodyte, not Goodfellow.’

The grin on his face became even wider, the corners of his eyes crinkling.

‘Touché, ms Blackburn. I bow to your superior intellect.’ He took a step back and bowed with a flourish, right there, in the middle of the airplane aisle.

Kat snorted -Fuck, she actually snorted- at his self-deprecating humour and his open and playful demeanour.

‘As you should, good sir.’ She drawled with an overly posh accent that made him laugh again and she laughed with him.

She sobered a bit when she realised that he had succeeded in pulling her out of her emotional distress, and was eternally grateful that he had made the effort.

‘Thank you.’ She said quietly, smiling at him softly.

He seemed to understand what she meant, because he inclined his head in acknowledgement, the corners of his mouth turned upward.

‘You’re welcome.’ He said with a gentleness in his voice that made a tremble -of anticipation?- travel down her spine. The man was truly captivating when his defensive walls were down. She caught herself before her thoughts drifted in a direction that wouldn’t be appropriate. _No Kat, he has a girlfriend. Not going there. Nope. Nope. Nope._

Tom stepped back into his own suite, so she could pass him on her way to the washroom. She gave him a tightlipped smile as she walked by and he nodded at her silently, with twinkling eyes.

With a sigh, she closed the washroom door behind her and leaned against it. Wow. Talk about an emotional rollercoaster. She stepped up to the wash basin and shook her head at herself in the mirror in disbelief. What a day. 

After she splashed her face with cold water and dried off with a paper towel, she used the face moisturiser from the pouch to rehydrate her skin. Deciding her skin looked as good as it was going to get, she combed her fingers through her unruly hair, eventually giving up the attempt to tame it. Today was not a good hair day.

She quickly used the toilet, and washed her hands, before exiting the washroom to make her way back to her seat.

When she approached Tom’s suite, she saw him bent over a stack of papers again, a book open next to it. He seemed to be comparing the two texts as he frantically scribbled in the margins of the paper and then picked up the book to thumb through it to another page.

Kat caught a glimpse of the book cover when he put it down again.

‘Hey, is that my book?’ She asked with a bright smile. He really had read -or was reading- her books. It always made her feel all warm and giggly inside when she saw people reading her books.

Tom looked up with a frown; visibly startled out of something that had him worried enough to be a bit perplexed by her sudden reappearance.

A tingle of apprehension went through her when she saw his face, and the smile dropped from hers.

‘What’s wrong?’

He wet his lips with his tongue, apparently searching for words.

‘I… Um…’ His eyes darted over the wall in front of him as he formulated an answer. Then he looked up at her, more serious than she’d seen him before. He pointed at the stack of papers on his table. ‘This is a movie script for the first Pandemonium film.’ A flash of horror shot through her and as she looked at him with shocked eyes, she knew it was visible on her face. He grimaced at her expression, as if what he’d feared just came true. 

’At first I thought the whole script fell a bit flat, compared to the books, due to K.T. Blackburn being a new and upcoming writer. I thought that it was because the author wasn’t used to converting a book into a script. That maybe it could be rewritten into something better, something outstanding, in the way the books are written. But now that I’ve met you, and have seen first hand how you live and breathe your stories, I’m beginning to suspect that you’re not the author of this script. Am I on the right path?’

She felt like she’d been punched in the gut. She laid a protective hand on her stomach as she let out a breath, and then sucked one in again. She held it and counted to five before releasing it slowly, to regulate her breathing, and, with that, suppress her anxiety. When she felt calm enough to answer, she let her gaze drift back to Tom, and she saw that he had risen half out of his seat at seeing her reaction to the information he had disclosed.

‘I… I never even wrote a script. I wrote a few dialogues for the people auditioning to use, but I have _never_ released them to the production company. They’re on my laptop and they will be printed and handed out to actors as they come in for their first audition.’ She looked at Tom in a desperate search for an explanation. ‘Why… How are they in possession of a script? How are _you_ in possession of a script?!’ Her voice was hoarse from the stress that coursed through her veins.

‘They must have hired a writer early on in your negotiations, and given him, or her, the book, to turn it into a script. I received one when I declared an interest in playing a part in the film. Are you saying you have no knowledge of any of this?’

‘No knowledge? All I know is that I am flying to LA to see a few auditions, and to resume negotiations on how we are going to make this film.’ She scoffed, feeling herself getting angry. ‘They don’t even have the fucking _filming_ rights to the books. They’ve been trying to con me out of all of the rights to those books, even the creative rights, ever since the beginning, and I was on to them, so I kept delaying the negotiations in the hope that they’d realise they were making a mistake, trying to shut me out of the whole process. Apparently that hope was in vain.’ She leaned heavily against the outside of Tom’s suite, not able to keep herself upright anymore with all the anger and stress and panic raging through her system. How was she ever going to get out of this unscathed, with the rights to her own books firmly in hand?

When Tom saw how devastated she was, he suddenly stood and took the amenity pouch from her now strengthless hands, putting it on the foldout table. Then he opened his arms to her. She reeled back in shock.

‘Is it okay if I hug you?’ His voice was gentle and he kept his body language as nonthreatening as he could manage. Which was quite impressive, when you took his sinewy, but powerful, six foot two frame into consideration. 

Kat appreciated his effort tremendously and recognised it for its worth, and for the first time in many, many years, she stepped into the arms of a male, who was so much bigger and stronger than she was, without any hesitation or reservation and, more importantly, without any fear.

The moment his arms closed around her and she leaned into his comforting warmth, her body started to tremble and she let herself be supported by his strength. He held her up without any display of exertion as her arms circled his waist and her fingers buried themselves in the soft cloth of his jumper. Kat allowed herself to fall apart for a few minutes as she shivered in his warm embrace and gasped for air. 

There were no empty words of comfort. No assurances that everything would be alright. Only a silent acceptance of her inner turmoil and a quiet strength that he enveloped her with.

As she slowly calmed down, she pulled herself together again and heaved a deep, and cleansing, sigh. With that breath, she breathed in the vague scent of his cologne, and under the expensive scent, she detected a delectable, muskier scent that was entirely him. It made her shiver for an entirely different reason than the stress that had coursed through her body only minutes earlier.

Hesitant to complicate things any further, she disengaged from their embrace and took a small step back to look up at him.

Did she detect a sliver of disappointment in his gaze? She wasn’t sure if she'd read the emotion right. It was gone as fast as it had appeared.

‘What are you going to do?’ He asked, worry colouring his tone and his expression sympathetic.

‘I have no idea. I’m going to withdraw from the project, and I’m taking my books with me. They’re not getting one iota of those filming rights. I just hope I’ll be able to get away without too much damage.’ She sighed. ‘I think I need help. And a solicitor. A good one.’

Tom nodded and his expression was pensive.

‘I think you might be right about needing a solicitor. But I also think, if you play it right, you have a good chance of pulling out without losing the rights to your books, because you haven’t signed anything. They have no legal grounds to keep you tethered to the production. They’ll fight tooth and nail, though. There’s no way that they’ll let a cash cow like you just walk away without becoming nasty about it. If you’ll pardon the slang.’

‘That’s what I’m afraid of.’ Kat groaned and rubbed her face. ‘Looks like I won’t be getting any sleep during this flight. Got a lot of strategising to do if I want to hit the ground running. And I have a few emails to send. And a call to make. Or two… Do they have WiFi on the plane?’

Tom nodded.

‘Yes, you’ll have to buy the password, but it’s quite good.’

‘Alright. Thank you, so much, for your support, Tom.’ Kat smiled at him in gratitude and placed a hand on his upper arm to emphasise her words of thanks. She noticed that it didn’t escape his attention that this was the first time in their acquaintance that she had initiated touch. 

‘I better get back to my seat. I have a lot of work to do.’ She made to step around him, but he stepped to the side, mirroring her.

‘What…’ She started to ask before he interrupted her.

‘Would you, um, like to have dinner? With me? Here?’ He gestured to his suite and sounded -and looked- a bit bashful as he made the request. In that moment she could see the adorable little boy he had once been, shine through on his face. 

His request threw her for a loop. It wasn’t what she’d been expecting him to say. This day was turning out to be just as surreal as last Saturday had been. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Airplane dinner. Yum...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sandboxing in the sky. :)
> 
> I own my OC's and the story-line, nothing more.
> 
> I make no money from this.

**Chapter 7**

 

‘What? You mean… like…’ She knew her tone was a bit incredulous, but she couldn’t help it. This was a very sudden change of pace, into a direction she hadn’t even seen coming, for crying out loud -or, at least, a direction she had been very adamant that she wasn’t going to pursue, as he couldn’t be interested in her. She’d seen Antonia; the woman was stunning. She was a big step down from that. A way big step... At least ten years older, much shorter, and with a bit more padding-.

‘…A date? Well, only if you want to, of course…’ He finished her question and was silent for a few seconds. ‘…It doesn’t have to be.’ He added. ‘I mean…I could help you with strategising…’ He finished a bit lamely.

She could see that he was mentally kicking himself for being so tongue tied all of a sudden. She had a feeling he usually was a bit smoother with the ladies and she chuckled at his awkwardness. His face had become slightly pink. It was sweet.

Then she remembered Antonia again.

‘Wait… Don’t you have a girlfriend?’ She raised her eyebrows at him, and he flinched, scrunching up his face.

‘Please don’t remind me of that disaster.’ He mumbled. ‘We broke up on Sunday morning, after a massive row at my house. I can’t believe I ever thought she was a sweet girl. She had me fooled. She’s a very good actress, but, in the long run, very bad at passing as a caring human being.’

‘I’m sorry.’ She offered. ‘How long were you two together?’

Tom sighed.

‘Only six weeks. The first three or four were fantastic, but then the cracks started to show, and after that debacle at your pub, we just imploded… Well, she imploded, or exploded, depends on how you look at it, and I’m just happy that I got away without too much damage to my person… or my house.’ He shrugged and she could see that he was trying to keep up a strong facade, but underneath she detected that it had hurt his feelings, and his confidence, that he had been so wrong about the woman’s character.

‘Okay.’ She said, deciding that six weeks didn’t really count as a full blown relationship, and she was pretty sure he wasn’t using her as a rebound. Well, relatively sure. 

Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? She liked him, so sue her.

‘Okay?’ Tom raised his right eyebrow inquiringly.

‘Okay, I’ll have dinner with you.’

A big smile broke on his face, he looked positively delighted.

‘Really? It’s a date?’

Kat folded her arms over her chest and gave him a serious look.

‘It’s a tentative date, as I’m not really sure what I think about your taste in women, and how that relates to other parts of your life, or your character.’ She wasn’t one to pull her punches, once she got over her initial shyness, when she got to know someone, and Tom was somehow more easy to talk to than other people she’d met during her time in London. She raised a challenging eyebrow at him.

He looked stunned at her remark, but then his eyes started to twinkle and he let out an amused laugh. 

‘Fair enough. So, a tentative date, then. I can work with that.’ He inclined his head and smiled at her.

‘Okay, let’s lay down some rules. We’ll have dinner and talk and strategise and after that, you’ll walk me home and say goodbye at the door. You’re not going past that door, though. I will not be asking you into my home after only one date.’ She gestured at her suite when he looked at her, puzzled, and his gaze drifted to her seat. He chuckled at her jest.

‘Alright. How about a good night kiss? Or would that be too forward of me?’ He stroked his chin and his ocean blue eyes twinkled with humour as he looked at her. It was clear he was having a lot of fun with laying down the framework of their date.

‘I’ll decide after you’ve walked me home. It all depends on how well you can carry a conversation and on how much of a mutual connection I perceive us to have.’

‘Okay, So, can I also interest you in watching a movie, after dinner and strategising?’ 

Ah, he wanted to negotiate, did he?

‘I could be persuaded to watch a movie. But how do you propose we do that? There’s only one chair, and although you’re quite slender, we won’t be able to fit in that seat together.’ She frowned as she looked at the seat. 

It was wide, but not wide enough to fit them next to each other… They would have to… Oh… Her gaze flew back to his and this time he raised a challenging eyebrow at her, a teasing smile playing on his lips. He was purposely trying to throw her off-kilter by teasing her. She suddenly felt very nervous and bit her lip as she looked away from him. Her hesitation must have shown on her face, because he dropped the provocative smile and in its place came a softer, more gentle expression.

‘I wouldn’t do anything untoward. We’ll figure out how to sit.’ He tried to reassure her after he saw her expression, probably thinking he’d gone a bit too far.

‘TBD. I’ll think about it.’ She said, a blush creeping up her neck. What was it about this man that he could make her blush so easily? Ugh.

‘Fair enough… Shall we?’ He asked, and pulled the folding table out of the way, so she could more easily get into the buddy seat that was integrated into the ottoman, which was part of the suite. This way, they could sit opposite of each other while they ate. It was like a ‘real’ date, with both parties at opposite sides of the table. 

It was a bit of a tight fit, though. When Tom sat down and fitted his long legs alongside hers, he tried to be a gentleman and keep the touching to a minimum, but it meant that his legs were twisted in a very uncomfortable position. 

He kept fidgeting, until Kat took pity on him and hooked her legs around his to pull them into a more relaxed position, where he could rest his feet under the ottoman, leaving his legs in between hers. It was quite an intimate position for a first date, but it was also the most comfortable. 

Tom pressed a button, and within seconds their designated flight attendant appeared, a friendly smile on her face.

After they’d given her their choices for dinner, a three course vegetarian menu for Kat and a three course steak menu for Tom, the flight attendant requested their choices of beverage, just before she left to get things in order.

When Tom requested a bottle of champagne and two glasses, Kat was quick to refuse.

‘I’m sorry, I don’t drink alcohol.’ She said as she had her hand raised in an apologetic gesture.

Tom looked at her, eyebrows raised in surprise.

‘Not even a bit of champagne? To celebrate our first date?’

Kat shook her head adamantly.

‘No, I’m sorry.’ She saw his disappointed expression and decided, there and then, to come clean about her past, so to speak. Best to have it out in the open before things got serious, right? That way there wouldn't be any surprises down the line.

‘I, um, I have a extensive history of severe substance abuse. I can’t have any stimulants.’ She grimaced at her wording, hoping she wouldn't scare him off with this disclosure. 

His eyes widened in shock, but his expression very soon changed to understanding.

‘Oh.’ He looked up at the flight attendant, who was trying her best to keep her distance while Kat and Tom talked. ‘Cancel the champagne. We’ll have a bottle of water and two glasses, please. Kat, do you want anything else to drink?’

‘I’ll have a Coca Cola with my dinner, please.’ She smiled at the flight attendant and then turned to Tom. ‘You can have a drink if you want. I won’t mind.’

Tom shook his head.

‘No, nope. You don’t drink, I don’t drink. I’ll stick with the water… And a Seven-Up, please.’ He added as he addressed the flight attendant. The woman nodded with a smile and disappeared toward the galley.

Kat was staring at the script on the table when Tom turned his attention back to her. She nervously played with the frayed edges of her sweater sleeves as she waited for the fallout of her confession. He was probably regretting ever asking her to have dinner with him. She was afraid to look up and see the rejection on his face. Rejection… Something she was so intimately acquainted with. There was a reason that she almost never went out, or made friends. She’d been burned too many times in the past.

She heard him clear his throat and quietly ask her a question.

‘So, how bad was it?’ His tone was curious, laced with compassion and acceptance.

Kat looked up and registered the neutral expression on his face. No rejection. No condemnation. Just that calmly phrased question.

She let go of the breath she hadn’t know she was holding.

‘Pretty bad.’ Her fingers were still nervously fidgeting with the cuffs of her sweater. She sighed. ‘Vodka bad. Cocaine bad… Heroine bad.’ Pulling up her sleeves she showed him the scars on the insides of both elbows, without looking at him. She heard him suck in a shocked breath.

‘It started when I was a teenager. I’d had a crap childhood. I was always in and out of foster homes and orphanages. Saw a lot of things a child shouldn’t see. Had a lot done to me that no child should ever know about. All sorts of abuse. Do you have any idea how many pedophiles pose as good family men -and women-, and how good they are at putting up a front? Nobody believed me. And if they did, and I was taken away, there would always be a new shite home.’ The words were said almost distractedly, like an afterthought. 

She thought she heard a sound of distress come from Tom’s direction, but she wasn’t brave enough to meet his eyes and continued her recounting of the past. 

Her voice was almost completely devoid of emotion and, after years of therapy and learning to process her rage, and her fear and sadness, in other ways than self destruction, it felt like it had happened to someone else. It did hit her now and then, like a truck plowing into her without warning, and she’d be a mess for a couple of days, or weeks, but she always picked herself up, dusted off her knees, and carried on. Always carrying on. The alternative was unthinkable for her.

‘When I hit puberty, there was a lot of anger. A _lot_ of anger. And grief, so much grief. And a lot of parties. And alcohol. And pills. So many pills. Blackouts, and sex; not always consensual.’ She let out a shuddering sigh. ‘I’m still surprised I didn’t end up pregnant by the age of sixteen. Hell, I’m surprised I even made it beyond sixteen. 

‘That’s when I really started running with the wrong crowd. Before I knew it, I was hooked on coke, and when that didn’t cut it anymore, heroine.  By the time I was nineteen, I was out on the streets; homeless, penniless, and always looking for my next fix. It didn’t matter what I had to do, who I had to do, to get it. 

‘It took a long time to admit to myself that I had a problem. That I had to change, to become more than I was, if I wanted to survive, to live.  There were a few catalysts that helped me see that things had to change. One of them, was running into the man who was once my foster brother. The only one who ever looked out for me. That was Mack, the man who runs MacKenzie’s pub. 

‘He didn’t even recognise me at first. I was a twenty-one year old junk, living on the streets of Glasgow. As scraggy and gaunt as they come. Cynical, disillusioned, and crass. A lightyear away from the shy, chubby and vivacious pre-teen he’d lived with for two years, until he was old enough to leave the foster system.  I didn’t recognise him either, it had been almost ten years after all, and I offered to suck his cock in exchange for some hot coffee or warm food. It was winter and I was so, so desperate to get warm. By then I almost didn’t have any body fat left and everything hurt. I was so _cold_.’ She shivered and rubbed her arms in a self-soothing motion, remembering. 

It stayed quiet at the opposite side of the table. All she could hear was Tom’s ragged breathing. She chanced a look in his direction and saw that his head was bent and his eyes were pinched closed. His face was drawn into an expression of anguish and his hands on the table were clenched so tightly that the tendons stood out and the knuckles had turned white.

She reached out with her hands and laid them over his, rubbing them softly in a comforting gesture. Tom opened his eyes and she could see a deep sorrow in their ice blue depths. It wasn’t the disgust or the pity she was used to and it astounded her. This man suffered because of her suffering. He felt it just as acutely, as if all those heinous things had only just happened to her. She felt compelled to offer him consolation.

‘Hey, Tom, it’s alright.’ She said quietly. ‘I’m okay now. It was a long road and a tough fight, it still is, sometimes, I won’t lie about that, but I’ve been completely clean and sober for almost twelve years; since just after my twenty-fifth birthday.’

‘You were just a little girl.’ He whispered, horror in his tone. He shuddered and a tear fell down his cheek as he gazed at her. Of all the things she’d told him, that was the thing that stuck in his mind. ‘You should have been protected; you should have been safe.’ He tilted his head, as if thinking of something. ‘That’s why you don’t like to be touched, isn’t it?’

Kat shook her head in answer, surprised that he’d noticed. She usually kept it hidden pretty well.

‘It’s not that I don’t like to be touched. Most of the time I’m fine with touch. When I can see it coming, it’s okay. It’s unexpectedly being crowded by bigger and stronger males that leaves me stressed out…’ She was interrupted by Tom’s groan of horror.

‘Oh, fuck, and I pushed you into hugging me, earlier. Fuck, fuck, _fuck_. I’m such a fucking _bastard_.’ His disgust with himself was almost palpable as he pulled his hands from under hers and rubbed them over his face.

‘Whoah, Tom! No! You asked me if it was okay, remember? You _asked_ , and I consented. You did _not_ push me into doing anything against my will. You asked for my _consent_. And that makes all the difference.’ She desperately tried to calm him down before his distress reached its peak. 

Maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea to broach the subject of her past while they were on an airplane. In public. Yeah, bad idea.

The flight attendant chose that moment to deliver their meals and it took only one look at both of them for her to see something was wrong.

‘Is everything okay here?’ She asked. ‘Can I do something to help?’ She sounded a bit anxious.

Kat was quick to try and put her at ease.

‘Everything is fine. We’re broaching a few delicate subjects in our lives, and we’re both a bit emotional about it, but it’s nothing to be worried about. But thank you for asking, that’s very thoughtful of you… Thank you.’ She gave the woman a grateful smile and accepted the proffered napkin from her.

After all the food had arrived, and their beverages had been poured, the flight attendant took her leave with the assurance that she’d help with whatever they needed, just to let her know. 

They both thanked her warmly and focussed on their food. 

For it being airplane food, it was surpsisingly good, Kat concluded. She was used to Mack’s superior cooking, and it didn’t hold up to his standards, but it was still better than quite a few restaurants she’d visited in the past.

The silence stretched between them as they ate. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but she could sense there were a few things still unspoken that needed to be addressed.

Tom suddenly spoke up.

‘I’m never touching a drop of alcohol again, ever.’ His tone was solemn.

Kat couldn’t help herself, the comment just came so out of the blue, that it tickled her humour, and she laughed. Which was like a breath of fresh air after all the heavy subjects they’d broached. When she saw his surprised and slightly hurt face, she apologised.

‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh at your statement, it just came so sudden, it blindsided me. It’s a very sweet gesture, Tom, but completely unnecessary. I work in a pub. I’m a bartender. Who sells alcohol. I won’t be offended or tempted if you drink a few beers or some wine or whisky in front of me. The only thing I ask of people who drink alcohol, is that they don’t kiss me if they’ve had alcohol in the hour or two, before. But that’s it.’

Tom shook his head.

‘No, it wouldn’t be fair to you. I would feel uneasy, knowing it could trigger something.’

Kat smiled softly at him, impressed with his empathy. A warm feeling spreading through her at his words hinting at a longer acquaintance between them than just this flight.

‘I’ll tell you what, how about… you don’t drink when I’m around. Otherwise you’re free to have a drink. Look at it as a compromise.’ When she saw his doubtful expression, she added, ‘Think of the Tiramisu! You have to be able to eat Tiramisu!’ And pulled a mock horrified face that made him laugh.

He took a sip from his water and tilted his head, observing her with an expression akin to wonder.

‘What?’ She asked with a smile.

‘How are you still so…’ He seemed to search for words.

She raised her eyebrows and gazed at him expectantly.

‘How am I still so… what?’

‘After all that has happened to you, after all that’s been done to you, how are you still so positive and optimistic? How are you still so caring and sweet? How are you still so inherently… good? How are you even able to see the good in people, in the world? How are you still… Sane?’

Kat speared a piece of steamed broccoli to her fork and took a bite. As she chewed, she thought about his question and tried to formulate an answer.

‘Well, you have to know that, after I got clean, I wasn’t always like I am now. It took a long time and a lot of therapy for me to come to grips with my past, and work through my anger and grief.  Hell, there still are days that I wake up and I hate everything, and everyone, and I rage, and scream, and cry, and curse my life and my weakness. But those days are fewer and far in-between now than they were ten years ago.  Sometimes I react instinctively to a certain trigger and that’s not always pretty.’ She rubbed her plump lower lip with her index finger in thought. Trying to convey to him the value system that she lived by, as simplified as she could, wasn’t easy.

‘I’ve come to realise that I don’t know everything, but what I do know is that no matter what you do with your life, before _anything_ else, _be kind_.  Know that everyone is fighting their own demons, and you have to understand that only because their demons aren’t like your demons, it doesn’t mean their fight is worth anything less than yours. Be understanding and compassionate. That is what I try to live by. The rest almost naturally follows.

'Mind you, the fact that I try to be kind, and understanding, and compassionate, doesn’t mean I won’t defend myself if I’m provoked. But, over all, I try to pick my fights wisely and save my energy for the fights that matter most to me. That’s why I didn’t confront your girlfriend in the pub. It wouldn’t have changed anything other than rile all parties up and added to the stress level of everyone involved. It wasn’t worth it.' She took a drink from her water to wet her suddenly dry mouth.  'As for seeing the good in people… I am very selective about who I let into my circle. The rest I keep at a distance, while still giving them the benefit of the doubt. I trust people, until they prove that they can’t be trusted. No matter how difficult that is for me sometimes. I’ve found I don’t want to live like everyone is out to hurt me, I can’t live like that. It’s poisonous.

'So, that’s it, I think. A few rules I’ve built my life on for the past twelve years. Be kind; respect other people’s struggles; pick your fights wisely; give people the benefit of the doubt; live honestly and love when you can… And dream. Dreams are important, too. Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to write what I write.’

Kat kept eye contact with Tom while she spoke and she could see the intense focus on his face.

‘So, now that you know of all the ugliness in my life, of all the darkness and ugliness I carry inside me, are you still on board with this date thing?’ She asked, secretly fearing he would turn tail and run, biting her lower lip in anticipation.

His focussed expression changed into one of disbelief.

‘Are you serious?’ He asked, incredulously.

Kat frowned and nodded.

‘Well, yes.’ Teeth pushing into her lip again.

Tom slowly lifted his hand and, taking care not to startle her, with his thumb pulled her lip out from under her teeth, caressing it gently.

‘My god, is that really how you see yourself?’ His voice was coloured with astonishment. ‘Kat, you’re not ugly. There is no ugliness inside you. I think you’re so… so very _strong_. Your way of thinking and your empathy, they are unique. To have survived so much horror and to still be the way you are, that takes character. Your imagination is unparalleled; I’ve read your books, I’ve seen the worlds you have created. You’re such a small, sweet package, but this woman in front of me contains endless universes of knowledge and creativity. I’m in awe of your talent and your ability to communicate through your art.’ His fingers caressed her jaw, sliding up to her ear, allowing his hand to cup her cheek. She leaned into his touch. ’And I think the stunning beauty on the inside, is mirrored by the beauty on the outside, quite accurately.’ 

Kat was speechless from his declaration. All she could do was stare at the handsome man, who looked at her as if she’d hung the moon and stars.

Because of the close quarters of the airplane, they were sitting quite close and it didn’t take much effort for Tom to lean in, his hand still cupping her cheek.

‘I know you said you’d think about a goodnight kiss, but I was wondering if you would mind if I kissed you now? I’d really like to kiss you now. May I?’ He whispered as his mouth hovered above hers.

Her lips tingled in anticipation and butterflies fluttered in her tummy as she considered his request. 

This was it, a turning point in their acquaintance. Until now, it had been friendly and casual, but to her, a kiss meant something, well… more. Did she really want this? The answer was a wholehearted yes. Was this a good idea? She wasn’t sure. But she also was one to act quickly on a feeling. And, oh, how he made her feel wanted. 

She could feel the warm breath leave his mouth in a whoosh when she nodded and gave her consent with a quiet ‘yes’.

‘Oh, thank god.’ He whispered against her lips, and then his mouth was on hers.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dessert, Strolls, and Popcorn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sandbox. No owning. No money.

**Chapter 8**

 

His lips were soft as they pressed to hers reverently, in an almost virginal kiss. Kat realised that he was testing the waters, so to speak. Letting her set the pace. He was waiting for her to either pull back, or proceed to something, more… More. 

She realised she wanted more. She needed more. It had been so long since she’d been kissed like this. Like she was the most precious woman in the whole world. She didn’t even know if anyone had _ever_ kissed her like this. No, she knew. She was pretty sure no-one had ever kissed her like this.

Slowly, she parted her lips and he followed suit, still so very respectful of her boundaries. So careful. It brought tears to her eyes and an involuntary sob welled up from deep within her. 

With a speed that dazed her, Tom pulled back from the kiss and lifted his other hand to join the first one, cupping her face between them. Anxiety shining in his eyes.

‘Oh, god, was that too much? Did I do something wrong? Are you okay?’ The rapid-fire of questions barraged her arousal muddled mind. Did he really think he had done something wrong?

A tear escaped her eye and rolled down her cheek. Tom tenderly wiped it away with his thumb.

‘I’m sorry.’ He whispered, looking torn.

Kat shook her head.

‘No.’ She said resolutely. ‘Don’t apologise. You did nothing wrong.’ Her right hand raised up to cover his left in a comforting gesture. ‘That kiss… It was… It is, everything. _Everything_ , Tom. I never… I was ruined for those kinds of kisses before I was even ten years old. I don’t… I don’t know if I even deserve those kinds of kisses. I’m too tainted.’

Tom rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, releasing a shuddering breath. She could feel his hands tremble against her face. Then he pulled back a bit, opening his eyes, and she was drowning in their crystalline depths which were simultaneously cool, and burning with an indomitable fire.

‘I want to kill the man who touched that little girl.’ He said. His voice was soft, but somehow that made it even more menacing. She shivered. Not from fear, but from the realisation that this man wasn’t going anywhere, no matter how dark and ugly her past had been. How she knew that so certain after only a few hours of being in his presence, she wasn’t sure. It was a feeling that grew stronger with every passing minute.

‘Promise me that you will never again think yourself unworthy of tenderness or respect. You are _not_ tainted.’ He whispered with conviction, cupping the back of her head in his big hand and pulling her in for another kiss, keeping an eye on her face to see if she wanted him to stop.

She wouldn’t stop him. How could he even think that she’d stop him? She didn’t want to stop him. He was the first man in… forever, who she allowed this close to her; not in the physical sense, but emotionally. She wasn’t afraid of his touch, of him going beyond what she was comfortable with. He didn’t demand anything of her. He was so gentle, and so tuned in to her reactions to his presence, and his touch, that it almost broke her heart.

That last thought had her surging forward, bridging the final distance between them and kissing him with a hesitant enthusiasm. Not sure how to proceed with these gentle kisses. Until today, she hadn’t had any idea how to kiss gently. In the past, kisses had been hard and fast, just like sex. They were a means to an end, to scratch an itch, or to shake more money from a target. But this… This was so different.

Tom matched her enthusiasm and parted his lips to suck her lower lip into his mouth, softly nibbling on the flesh before releasing her again. She’d thought that he’d take the kiss further after that, but no, he ended the kiss with a few small pecks and then released her face to sit back onto his seat, a delighted smile playing around his lips. He observed her with a content expression on his face, like he had gotten the answer to a question only he knew about.

Kat cleared her throat and tried to fight off the sudden dizziness that plagued her. That kiss had been more potent than she’d thought. Sheesh. She looked at Tom with wide eyes.

‘I think I might have a new vice.’ She declared hoarsely; and she let out a husky laugh. ‘At least this one is quite a bit healthier than the last ones were.’

‘you and me, both, darling.’ Tom grinned. He scooped up a spoonful of his chocolate mousse and licked the decadent dessert from the spoon.

Oh, wow. That was something she hadn’t seen coming. That tongue… She blinked and shook her head. Bastard knew exactly what devastation he caused. Just look at that heated gaze.

‘So, you’re an actor, hm? I should have known, you have too good a control of your facial features for just a mere mortal.’ She shot at him playfully; trying to get back at him for the chocolate mousse distraction. ‘Can’t say I’ve ever seen you in anything, for as far I can remember.’

It had the desired effect. Sort of. The hand holding the spoon froze while he was licking off the remaining chocolate and he stared at her, visibly flabbergasted. This time it was his turn to clear his throat.

‘What do you mean, you’ve never seen me in anything? I’ve been in loads of things. In movies and on television. You must have seen me hang around in some flick or another?’

Kat shook her head in denial.

‘Nope, as I said, not that I recall. Now, I must confess that I don’t really watch television, and the last time I went to the cinema, was three years ago, I think. I’ve been so busy with my studies and then with my writing, that I’m a bit out of the loop concerning films and series. Sorry.’

Tom looked at her incredulously.

‘Really?’ His eyebrows had risen higher with each word she spoke. ‘You’re not joking?’

‘Nope.’ She popped the ‘p’. ‘So, what do you recommend we watch later? Which movie are you most proud of?’

‘you want to see one of my movies?’

‘Yes, please.’ Kat nodded enthusiastically as she took a bite from her dessert, a delicious piece of strawberry cheesecake.

‘Seriously?’

Kat groaned in annoyance at his disbelief and raised her hands to the sky.

‘Yes. I. Want. To. See. One. Of. Your. Films.’ She tilted her head. ‘Now, which one will give me the whole ‘Tom Hiddleston, the Actor’ experience?’

‘Um.’ He thought on it for a moment. ‘I think that would be a miniseries I did for television. It was broadcasted early last year.’

‘Great! What’s it called?’

‘The Night Manager.’

‘What? Like the book by Le Carré?’ Kat raised an eyebrow, impressed.

‘Exactly like that.’ Tom nodded with a smile.

‘Oh, I love that book! Is the series any good?’ 

Tom sent her an ‘are-you-serious?’ glare. She backtracked. ‘Sorry…’ Then asked, ‘So, Is it? Any good?’ So much for backtracking…

‘I won a Golden Globe for that series. Hugh Laurie won a Golden Globe for that series. It won numerous awards over the past year. So, yes, It’s quite good.’

Kat’s eyes widened at the mentioning of the second name.

‘ _Hugh Laurie_ is in it?! He’s great!’

Tom looked a bit chagrined.

‘So, you know Hugh Laurie, but you don’t know me… That’s… Flattering.’ She could see, that, under the grouch, he was highly amused by their banter, and she grinned.

‘What can I say, I grew up watching Fry and Laurie. They were hilarious. And I haven’t been in the loop of films and tv for at least the past ten years, so you can’t blame me for having missed your work.’

‘Alright, The Night Manager it is, then.’ Tom decided, eating the last bit of chocolate mousse. ‘Those airplane puddings are always so small.’ He bemoaned as he gazed at the empty bowl a bit forlornly.

‘Do you want the rest of my cheesecake? You can have it, if you want. It’s strawberry.’ She slid the small plate over to his side of the table.

‘Just when I think you can’t get any more amazing, you do.’ He sighed, sending a longing look toward the tart. ‘But that’s yours, please don’t part with it just for my sake.’

‘No, I’m full, Tom. I couldn’t eat anything more. It would be thrown out if you didn’t take it.’

Tom searched her face for a sign of dishonesty, but he didn’t find anything else than an earnest look.

‘Well, if you insist.’ He pulled the dish toward him and decimated the dessert in seconds. Sighing from contentment, he smiled. ‘Mmmm. That one was very good too.’ He rubbed his flat tummy with both hands and then stretched in his seat.

‘How about a bit of a stroll, to let our food settle a bit, before we watch the series? We’ve been sitting down all afternoon.’

Kat nodded. 

‘Sure. What do you suggest? The plane is big enough.’

Tom wet his lips and grimaced.

‘Yeah, it is. But I’m not sure it’d be a good idea if we went gallivanting through economy class… It’s not that that’s too pleb, or something.’ He was quick to reassure her when he saw the look of confusion she sent him. ‘It’s just… I’m a bit more well-known than I’ve let on. And a… situation… could occur, if someone sees me. It could pose a danger for the people on this plane… I’d like to suggest we stick to the First and Business classes. They’re both on this deck and the deck above us, so we can use the stairs for variety in the walk.’

‘Mr Hiddleston, are you telling me that you’re a big shot actor with a rabid fan base?’ Kat laughed teasingly.

‘I wouldn’t say, rabid, per se. More…um, very… enthusiastic?’ Tom’s right eyebrow rose as he said the last word. The question very audible in his voice.

‘Are you telling me, or asking me, mr _Big Shot Actor Guy_?’ She joked, emphasising the title.

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

‘Great. Am I ever going to live that down?’

‘Nope, never.’ She grinned and rose from her seat. ‘Let’s go. We have a whole plane to explore. Well, okay, half a plane.’ She conceded when she saw his expression.

Wiggling out from behind the table, she stepped into the aisle, waiting for Tom to put on his shoes. She’d just wing it on her slippers, she decided. _Teehee, wing it_. She snickered at her own unintended pun.

‘If you have a moment, I have something to ask the flight attendant.’ Tom said as he stood.

‘Um, sure. I’ll be here.’ Kat agreed. 

It only took Tom a few moments to converse with the woman, and soon he was walking back towards Kat. Wow, talk about a panther-like grace. The man really was sexy like hell. No wonder he had such a big fanbase. She’d bet that at least ninety percent of said fans were women. If he was half as good at acting as he was at exuding that half-graceful-sex-god-half-adorable-puppy vibe, she had no problem believing that he’d made it big in the entertainment world. 

He towered over her when he came to a stop where she stood. The corners of his mouth were turned up in a sort of mysterious half-smile as he gazed down at her, eyes twinkling with secret knowledge.

‘What?’ She smiled at his obvious giddiness.

‘Nothing…’ He couldn’t leave it at that though, and added a, ‘You’ll see, later.’

‘Ugh, now you’ve got me curious.’ She complained. He was unrelenting and just grinned mischievously, the corners of his eyes crinkling with mirth.

‘Shall we go?’ He asked, and gestured for her to walk in front of him toward the front of the plane, where the stairs to the top deck were located. Kat nodded and led the way. 

Tom walked very close behind her and she could feel the warmth radiating from his body, although he never touched her.

If you’d asked her last week if she’d ever be able to walk like this -with a bigger and stronger man at her back-, without feeling stressed, or completely freaking out, she would have laughed out loud and assured the questioner that she’d never let a person that close without keeping her front to them. 

But now… She didn’t know what it was about this man that had her so trusting. So sure that he wouldn’t hurt her. So… relaxed.

There was still a small corner of her mind that tried to remind her that trusting someone so fast after meeting them was folly, but it was easily ignored as she basked in the feeling of not being afraid for once.

Quietly, they climbed the stairs and strolled through the upper part of business class. It was hard to keep a conversation going when they couldn’t walk beside each other. And quite a few people were already asleep, so they kept talking to a minimum.

Kat stepped into the galley, which was located at the end of the first aisle in business class, and almost came into collision with a male flight attendant, who was mixing a drink. 

‘Oops, sorry.’ She apologised. She’d halted just in time, but Tom didn’t and bumped into her from behind. He reacted instinctively, and protectively put his left arm over the top of her chest, just below her neck, his hand landing on her right shoulder, to stop her from toppling over, pulling her towards him in a swift motion; pressing the back of her body tightly up against his front.

It had all happened so fast, that Kat didn’t even have time to process the fact that she’d just been manhandled by a much larger person. 

All she registered was the powerful male body that was intimately and protectively folded around her. 

For the first time in a long time the unexpected full body contact didn’t send her into a flurry of anxiety. It was quite the opposite. Her right hand flew up to grab his arm and she instinctively pressed back against his warmth; his strength, a reassurance rather than an agitation, causing a fluttering of butterflies in her tummy, which calmed down into a slow warmth in her lower abdomen. _Wow._ That was something that hadn’t happened in a very long time. 

A shuddering breath left her and apparently Tom interpreted it as panic, because he made sure that she was standing upright and then he quickly stepped back, once again leaving a gap between them. She felt the loss of warmth sharply and was of a mind to step back with him, if it hadn’t been for the flight attendant, who was staring up a Tom with wide eyes and mouth hanging open; drink mixer forgotten in his hands.

‘Oh. My. God.’ He whispered, almost reverently. 

Kat raised an eyebrow at the behaviour and looked back at Tom. She was not prepared for what she saw. He had his mask back on. The polite smile he’d put on not quite reaching his eyes. It was both intriguing and scary to see him flip the switch without batting an eye. This was the man she’d seen in the pub last Saturday, not the man she’d come to know over the past couple of hours. It made her wonder if her jest of him being a big shot actor wasn’t more accurate than she’d thought. 

‘Hello.’ Tom said graciously, his voice sounding coolly courteous.

The flight attendant looked like he was about to swoon. Until he seemed to remember that he was at work and slacking off or swooning over a celebrity would not be tolerated by management.

‘H… Hello, mr Hiddleston.’ His gaze drifted to Kat. ‘Hello, ms…’ It was clear that he was wondering what the tall, handsome and famous -Yes, she now believed the man at her side was actually as famous as he claimed to be- actor was doing with a frumpy little thing like her. It was right there on his face.

She offered her hand and he shook it.

‘Blackburn. Kat Blackburn. Nice to meet you.’ 

If she’d thought the man’s reaction to Tom had been a bit excessive, his reaction to her topped that.

He turned pale and then his cheeks reddened. He dropped her hand as if it had burned him. She really thought he’d pass out from holding his breath for so long.

‘Oh my god.’ He squeaked when he’d found his voice again. He placed his hand on his chest and looked from Kat to Tom and back again. ‘Kat... Blackburn? As in K.T. Blackburn? The author of the Pandemonium series?’

‘The one and only.’ Tom answered in her stead. She frowned up at him, but he was enjoying himself too much to pay it any attention, if his wide grin was something to go by. His reserved demeanour was all but gone. It seemed like he was relieved and amused that being the centre of attention had suddenly shifted to her.

The flight attendant eyed her petite form. Seemingly realising something.

‘You’re a woman?’

Tom chuckled at the man’s surprise.

Kat raised her eyebrows and gazed down at herself.

‘Last time I checked.’ She answered and looked up at Tom. ‘I seem to get that a lot, lately. Why does everyone always assume I’m a man?’ Her voice sounding flabbergasted.

‘Might be because you’re a recluse and never show your face in public, or do book tours.’ Tom said with a smile.

‘You may have a point. But still, K.T. is genderless. Like J.K., right? She’s a woman.’ She looked back at the flight attendant, who was gazing at her like a deer caught in headlights.

‘I love your books. They’re absolutely fantastic.’ Was all he said, looking a bit dazed at meeting not one, but two people he, apparently, admired.

Kat gave him a wide smile.

‘Awww, thanks, love. Well, we were stretching our legs a bit, and we shouldn’t hold you up. We best be on our way.’ She made to walk around the man, but he stopped her.

‘Wait…’ He looked quite apologetic and anxious at the same time. ‘Is it okay if we take a selfie? I mean, if you don’t mind?’

Kat thought it hilarious that the man wanted to take a picture with her. She looked at Tom to gauge his reaction. He nodded in assent and pulled her next to him.

The flight attendant stood in front, with his back to them, and whipped out his phone, opening the camera app. 

They took a few selfies with him, and then they were on their way again; after saying goodbye to the flight attendant and receiving his heartfelt thanks, a few times over.

When they arrived back at the stairs and descended them to the lower level, Kat shook her head in disbelief about what she had just experienced.

‘That was… so weird…’ She said about being fawned over by another person, only because they liked your work.

Tom chuckled.

‘Yes, it is. And, over time, it doesn’t get any less weird. You never really get used to it.’

Kat stepped into the First cabin through the curtain that had been hung for privacy. The cabin was almost dark now. The lights that were still on, had a dark blue hue. When she looked over to where the only other person in the cabin had been sitting, she saw he was laying down on a bed that was in place of his seat, and he was in a deep sleep. Did the seats in this cabin really convert to full _beds_? She was _so_ using that feature next time, when she’d be flying back to the UK. 

As quietly as possible, they passed the man’s suite and made their way to the First class galley, to pass through there to get back to their own aisle.

There were two flight attendants in the galley. They seemed to be tidying up and without much further ado, she and Tom were ushered through the passage to their own aisle.

When they were back at their seats, she suddenly stood stock still. Tom’s seat was converted into a sort of love seat, with lots of pillows creating an extra seat on the elevation next to the armrest. It wasn’t big, but she wasn’t either and she’d probably fit with a squeeze.

‘What? How?’ She whispered, turning around to look up at Tom in wonder.

He smiled and tilted his head.

‘Surprise.’ His voice was quiet as not to disturb the sleeping man on the other side of the airplane.

‘But, why?’

‘So that you won’t have to sit so close to me if you don’t want to. I wanted you to be comfortable.’

His thoughtfulness almost brought tears to her eyes and she stepped into him, winding her arms around his waist and giving him a tight hug. His arms came around her and he gently hugged her back. They stayed like that for a few seconds, until the smell of popcorn hit her nostrils. She stepped back and looked around Tom, to where one of the flight attendants stood with a large-ish bowl of popcorn.

‘We have _popcorn_?’ A soft squee left her mouth as she took in a whiff of the lovely, buttery smell.

‘Yup. And chocolate.’

Kat looked at Tom, impressed.

‘Are you trying to kill me with kindness?’ 

‘Cuddling you; killing you softly; wooing you with sweets. Whichever works. All in a day’s work.’ He grinned at her. ‘Now, shall we?’ He gestured for her to get comfy on the pillowed, improvised seat.

Kat held up her hand to delay for a few moments.

‘Just a minute. Let me grab my phone. I have a few texts to send, before I forget.’ She stepped around Tom and the flight attendant, and went into her suite. She rummaged through her backpack, which was still on the ground, where she’d left it earlier. Where was that blasted phone? Ah. There. She fished it out with a flourish and held it up triumphantly. ‘Got it!’

After that, Tom and she made themselves comfortable in their pillow fort. The flight attendants had put his seat in a position that made it easier for them to fit next to each other.

Within seconds of sitting down, Tom was flipping through the series on offer to find ‘The Night Manager’, While balancing the bowl with popcorn and a pack of Maltesers on his lap.

Kat unlocked her phone and went through the motions of buying on-flight WiFi. Which was not cheap, as Tom had warned, but she figured it would be worth it in the end, when she was finally free of the production company that was trying to ruin her career.

She opened the text messaging app and started typing.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit of texting and a bit of talking.  
> Oh, and Bob is wicked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No money. No owney.
> 
> It iz me Sandboxy.

**Chapter 9**

 

**_KittyKatie_ **

Bob, you there?

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

KittyKat! Aren’t you supposed to be flying high right now?

 

**_KittyKatie_ **

You’re so funny, FakeSherlock. Ha-bloody-Ha.

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

Haven’t changed my name yet, I see?

 

**_KittyKatie_ **

Am I still KittyKatie?

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

Yes?

 

**_KittyKatie_ **

Then, no.

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

Fair enough. So. ‘Sup?

 

**_KittyKatie_ **

I need your help. Does your offer to assist in me getting out of this production still stand?

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

I don’t go back on my promises, Katie. What happened?

 

**_KittyKatie_ **

Long story short, I just found out the bastards have already made the book into a script and have been dangling it in front of A-listers, without my knowledge or consent. I want out. Can you recommend a good solicitor? 

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

Fuck, that sucks. By solicitor, I’ll assume you mean, bad ass lawyer. I’m calling in my legal team as we text. 

 

**_KittyKatie_ **

Jesus. Legal _TEAM_?! That’s much too expensive, mr Downey. Stop what you’re doing! Right now!

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

No. I do what I want. :P

 

**_KittyKatie_ **

Do you have any idea how spoiled you sound? Come on, Bob, it’s too much. 

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

I disagree. I needed them to set up your contracts anyway.

 

**_KittyKatie_ **

My contracts… Which contracts?

 

**_FakeSherlock_**

The contracts that bring the filming rights to your books under the wing of Team Downey; mine and Susan’s production company. We’re associated with Warner Bros by the way, and they are very interested in my plans for the books. 

We want to take you on as a consultant to the scriptwriters, with veto rights if the writing isn’t up to par. And you keep all legal and creative rights over present and future works, of course. We’ll work out the details when you get here. 

Do you need me to pick you up from LAX?

 

**_KittyKatie_ **

Um, wow. That’s mighty generous of you.

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

Generosity has nothing to do with it. I want those movie rights. I’m an artist who is passionate about making his art, but I’m also a businessman who is in the movie-moneymaking business. If I can fuck over a bunch of assholes who give this industry a bad name, while producing a blockbuster hit, then all the better.

Now, do I need to pick you up at the airport?

 

**_KittyKatie_ **

No, I don’t think so. I’m being picked up by one of the producers. I think I have a dinner with them at a hotel, or something. Not my hotel, but some other fancy schmancy lodging.

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

Kat, I’m picking you up. What time do you land?

 

**_KittyKatie_ **

Around 18:50. That’s 6:50PM. But why? It’s not necessary.

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

I know what time 18:50 is. I’m not a neanderthal.

And believe me, it’s necessary. I don’t trust them. Them picking you up personally? And then taking you to a hotel that isn’t yours? That’s a red flag to me. It could be hazardous to your wellbeing to go with them.

 

**_KittyKatie_ **

Shit. Really?

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

Quite. So who’s the A-lister?

 

**_KittyKatie_ **

What?

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

Who’s the A-lister who tattled on the assholes?

 

**_KittyKatie_ **

Nothing gets by you, does it?

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

Very, very rarely. Now spill.

 

Kat sighed audibly and looked at Tom, who had found the series he was looking for, and was now inserting a splitter, that had two headphones already plugged in, in the headphone jack.

‘Tom?’

His crystalline gaze found hers within a blink.

‘Yes?’

‘Are you opposed to taking a selfie with me?’

He frowned in confusion.

‘No, of course not. But why do you want to take one?’

‘Well, I’m texting Bob, and he wants to know which A-lister tattled on the production company.’

‘Who’s Bob?’

‘Downey.’ She said as explanation, and showed him the conversation. His confusion disappeared and he snickered when he saw under which name she had saved his info.

‘FakeSherlock?’ 

Kat shrugged, smiling mischievously.

‘There can be only one. And Ben Cumberbatch trumps them all.’

‘So, you know Bob _and_ Ben, but not me. I’m feeling a bit under-appreciated right now.’

‘Oh, shush. Ben and Sophie are at the pub at least once a week, for lunch with their wee ones. That’s how I know about him. And then Mack made me watch Sherlock, so I would know what he and Ben were discussing one day. He really is fabulous as Sherlock. 

'Hence, Bob is FakeSherlock. I know Bob and Elsa and Chris, because they found out who I was last Saturday, and we got talking about my work and the plans to film the books. They gave me their contact info when I asked Elsa to read for the part of Anna. And FakeSherlock has been texting me ever since. To the point that it became a bit annoying. I think he really wants the movie rights to my books. Like, really, really badly.’ She chuckled. ‘So, you okay with that selfie?’

Tom nodded and Kat raised her phone, angling it so that they would both be in the shot, only to slam it into the side of the plane. Well, that wasn’t going to work.

‘Shite.’ She checked the phone; thankfully it was still whole, and working. Looking at Tom, she saw that he was suppressing an amused smile at her clumsiness. She climbed down from her small perch and stood between Tom’s splayed legs. Gesturing to the unoccupied part of the seat between his legs, she asked, ‘May I?’

He smiled, put the popcorn and chocolate to the side, and opened his arms to her.

‘Be my guest.’

Carefully, she lowered herself to sit and leaned back against him. Tom wrapped his arms around her as he sat back agains the backrest, pulling her with him, into a slightly declined position. He wiggled around a bit until he was comfortable, Kat fitting against him like she belonged there, her head resting high on his chest. If she turned her face up toward him, she’d be nuzzling his neck. 

He held her loosely and it didn’t feel like she was suffocating from being restrained, like she sometimes felt when she was hugged by a virtual stranger. It was quite the opposite, actually. It felt nice.

‘Is this okay? Are you really sure you want to sit like this?’ Tom asked, concerned for her wellbeing. 

Kat nodded and couldn’t help but chuckle, burrowing back into his warmth.

‘It’s comfy. I could get used to this.’

‘I aim to please.’ His voice was low and soft next to her ear and it made a shiver travel down her spine. 

She raised the phone to take a picture, but couldn’t get the angle right. She gave a frustrated sigh and kept moving it around to get a good shot.

Suddenly the phone was taken from her and a long arm positioned it further away from them.

‘Thanks, Coeus.’

She could feel his laugh vibrate through her body.

‘You’re welcome, Puck.’ He teased, and snickered when she huffed with mock indignation. ‘Say cheese.’

They took a few selfies and Kat chose the most decent one to send to Bob, where Tom’s left arm was loosely wrapped around her, while he made the pic with his right hand, both of them smiling into the lens. 

Some of the selfies were bordering on scandalous, with Tom sticking his tongue in her ear, in one of them, her eyes wide with shock and laughter. The bastard. 

 

**_KittyKatie_ **

Look who I found on my flight. _IMG2109-15/04/2017-19:58_

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

Well, fuck me. O.O

 

**_KittyKatie_ **

Ew, I’d rather not. 

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

So, tall, blue and handsome finally found his balls and kicked Exorcist Barbie to the curb, did he? Good for him.

 

**_KittyKatie_ **

??? blue??? 

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

Never mind, you’ll find out what that’s about soon enough, I’ll wager. By the way, I’ve got everything set up for you over here. You’re hereby officially invited to stay at our house. Susan really wants to meet you. You can even bring the bean pole if you want.’

 

‘Bean pole?’ Tom muttered from behind her. Ah, he was reading over her shoulder. She giggled.

 

**_KittyKatie_ **

Aw, thanks, Bob. I’d like to meet Susan too. I’ll ask if Tom wants to come.

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

Oh, I’m pretty sure you don’t have to ask that. I can see he wants to. Badly.

 

Kat gasped at this double entendre. The man was positively wicked.

 

**_KittyKatie_ **

Jesus Fucking Christ! Bob!  You can’t say stuff like that! 

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

Of course I can. Bye, children, have fun! I’ll see you in seven hours. 

 

**_KittyKatie_ **

Bye.

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

Use protection!!!

 

**_KittyKatie_ **

Fuck. Off. Bob.

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

Roger. Over and out.

 

Kat groaned and leaned back against Tom.

‘He’s so annoying.’

Tom hummed in agreement.

‘He grows on you.’

‘Yeah, like mould.’ She grumbled.

‘Something like that. He has a heart of gold, though, underneath all that posturing and snark and bluster.’

She nodded.

‘Yeah, I noticed that about him. He hides it under layers of deflection, but it’s easy to see.’

‘Not everyone would agree with you. Some people see him as a pompous bastard and don’t look any further than that.’

‘Well, that’s their loss, then.’ She shrugged.

‘I guess it is.’ Tom agreed and then changed the subject. ‘Are you still okay?’ His big, warm hand rubbed gently over her tummy.

Kat nodded and laid her hand on his. She was moved by how he tried to be so conscious of what effect his actions could have on her. 

‘Is it okay if we stay like this?’ Her voice was soft and shy.

Tom held her a bit tighter in response.

‘Of course, Darling. You won’t ever have to ask if it’s alright to show bodily affection towards me. I don’t have many boundaries in that respect. Not with my girlfr…’ He fell silent and cleared his throat.

Kat tilted her head back to look him in the eye. He was blushing and looked a bit flustered.

‘I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that last sentence and I’m going to keep sitting here, like this. I like cuddling with you.’

Tom smiled down at her through his bashfulness -damn if that wasn’t doing things for her- and pressed a soft kiss to her temple.

‘Yeah, I think that would be best at this point of our acquaintance. Now, let’s enjoy the evening and watch this Le Carré flick, shall we?’


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Night Manager, Pandemonium, Social Media, and Live Streams...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own Kat. Nothing else.
> 
> I make no money from this.
> 
> Sandboxing all the way.

**Chapter 10**

 

_Ho-ly shit_.

They were three episodes into ‘The Night Manager’ and Kat was hooked. Tom was magnificent as Jonathan Pine. 

And what was more, she suspected she’d found another actor to play a character from her books. She even knew which part she wanted him to read for. The end titles of episode three rolled over the screen, when she pulled off her headphones, setting the empty popcorn bowl to the side and turning half around to have a better vantage point when she looked at Tom.

‘Who are you going to audition for? When you’re going to read for my book films? Which part?’ She asked curiously.

He smiled slightly, tilting his head as he looked at her.

‘Well, I was going in for Malachy. The producers and casting director asked for me to come in for that part. Why?’

Kat shook her head and pulled a disapproving face. She didn’t agree with the casting choice. Those casting people had absolutely no idea…

‘No. That’s not right. You’re not Malachy. I have someone else in mind for him. Would you be interested in a smaller -but vital to the story- part?’ She saw his expression cloud over a bit and was quick to add, ‘It will look like the part is quite small, at first, but I promise you, it will get bigger as the film series progresses.’

He tilted his head as he thought about her words.

‘That’s all a bit vague. Can you tell me a bit more? The name of the character, maybe?’

She nodded in understanding.

‘Well, I can’t tell you too much, because a lot of his more intricate story transpires in the third book, which isn’t out yet -and the character I want you to read for, is one of the reasons I’m going to have to write a fourth one-. So…’ She paused to prolong the suspense. ‘The character I very much would like you to read for, is Iain Harrington, Anna’s partner at Interpol.’

A big smile appeared on his face and his eyes shone with happiness.

‘That’s… Fantastic! That’s not a small role, Kat.’

‘So, you’re not disappointed? I mean, you were going to read for one of the major leading roles after all. And this is mostly a supporting role.’

‘Are you kidding me? Iain is almost as important a character as Malachy is. He goes through one of the biggest character arc changes of anyone in the books. It’d be my pleasure to audition for him. And to be honest, I’m happy that I’ll be able to keep my own hair colour, and length, for once. Do you have any idea how many times I’ve had to dye my hair dark, or wear a wig, for a part in a film? Too many times to count. So, my hair thanks you, too!’

Kat laughed softly at his jest and nodded contently.

‘That’s a yes to reading for the part, then.’ She concluded.

Tom hugged her to him.

‘It’s a big yes, my darling Puck, I’ll read for the part of Iain.’ He sounded so happy, it made her feel all warm and tingly inside. ‘So, do you want to see another episode, or do you want to go to sleep?’ He asked.

She considered the options. 

‘Well, the series _is_ completely captivating. You and your fellow thespians are absolutely exquisite. I’d really like to see it to the end, if you’re not too tired?’

‘No, I’m fine. I have to warn you, though, that, in the fourth episode, there’s a quite steamy scene with Jonathan and Jed. I’m not sure if you’d be okay with seeing that. It might be a possible trigger? I don’t know… It’s consensual, but a bit… rough?’

Kat leaned back into him.

‘Well, you've warned me, so I'll be okay, I think. I’ll let you know if it makes me uncomfortable. Alright?’

She felt him chuckle.

‘Okay.’ He put his headphones back on, Kat following his example, and started the fourth episode.

 All was as it should be for the first half of the episode, but when they came to minute twenty-seven, she could feel Tom growing tense. Steamy scene about to ensue, then, eh?

She watched with rapt attention how the scene unfolded and felt Tom shift behind her, the hand that rested on her tummy bunched up the fabric of her jumper when he balled his hand into a fist, subconsciously. The man really was a bit uneasy about watching this with her.

Kat laid her hand over his fist and softly rubbed her fingers between his knuckles as she kept her eyes glued to the screen.

_Oh… Oh, my…_

_Fuck, that’s hot._

She sucked in a breath and pressed her legs together as she watched Jonathan and Jed in the throes of passion. Her heart thudded in her throat and a warm throbbing started between her legs. Instinctively she pressed Tom's fist harder into her belly and tilted her head to expose her neck; simultaneously tilting her hips and pressing backwards, burrowing deeper into his arms.

A shudder went through him when she inadvertently pushed up against the hard ridge that had appeared in his jeans. A firmness she hadn’t noticed before that moment.

_Fuck_ , now that was all she could think about. It excited her and scared her at the same time, and in equal amounts.

Tom dropped his head and nuzzled into her exposed neck, a soft groan escaping him when Kat shivered against him.

‘Are you okay?’ He whispered hoarsely.

Kat nodded and hummed softly.

‘That was so hot. And, no triggers activated.’ She blushed as she admitted it.

He lifted his head and looked at her, eyes hooded and suddenly dark with want.

‘Really?’ He paused the screen before she missed too much of the conversation between Roper and his henchman.

‘What? A beautiful woman shagging a hot dude? Totally okay with that… T was a bit _short_ though.’ She teased, flashing him a mischievous grin. ‘I hope Jonathan’s stamina doesn’t mirror yours?’ 

She could hardly hold in a full belly laugh when his face went red and he spluttered, lost for words. It was clear he wasn’t expecting her to turn it around on him like that. Then he buried his face in her neck and laughed. Goosebumps broke out over her body and she squirmed in his arms.

‘Tom, stop tickling me.’ She whispered sharply, as she tried to get away from his mouth on her skin. An involuntary giggle escaped her.

‘You really are a little shrew, aren’t you?’ He growled into her ear, before his lips traveled over her cheek, pressing small kisses to her skin. Then his lips were on hers, softly kissing her. The angle was a bit awkward, but Kat didn’t mind at all. She could get used to this man kissing her like this. Full of tenderness, and humour, and a hint of the passion that lay underneath. She was grateful for him being so careful with her. He had no qualms with taking a step back and letting her set the pace; reading her verbal and non-verbal cues to see where she led him.

‘Only if you’re a good boy.’ She jokingly whispered, forming the words against his lips.

He groaned.

‘You’re killing me here.’ He deepened the kiss until Kat placed a hand on his chest and pushed gently. They were going a bit too fast now. She could feel nervousness coil in her gut.

She broke the kiss with a small peck to his lips and leaned back so she could see him better.

‘Do you have any idea how long it’s been since I’ve let a man come this close to me?’ She gestured between them. ‘How long since I’ve trusted someone enough to allow them at my back?’

Tom was silent as he waited for her answer, his eyes serious once again.

‘It’s been years, Tom, many years, since my last ‘relationship’, and that was an abusive one… Oh, I had dates.’ she assured him when she saw his astonished expression. ‘But those ended at my front door. It just hasn’t been worth the risk, for me to allow anyone further than that. I’ve had such bad luck with the men in my life, it seemed folly to expose myself to the risk of such pain and abuse again. But with you… I don’t know how, and I don’t know why… It just comes naturally. I know it sounds crazy, saying this when we hardly know each other, but it just feels… right. It feels like…’ She trailed off; not really sure how to express the feelings his proximity raised in her.

‘Like belonging.’ Tom finished for her.

Kat looked up at him in surprise and awe. That was exactly it. It felt like they fit, like she belonged here, in his arms.

‘How…’

‘Because I feel he same. I know I just came out of a relationship and shouldn’t feel like this, but I do… It’s not some kind of strange rebound behaviour. I’ve been there, done that, etcetera.’ He thought for a moment. ‘If you’re interested, I’d like to explore this connection we have. Go on a couple of dates. See where it takes us. What do you say?’ His expression was tense, as if he was unsure of her answer.

She smiled, happy that he felt the same kind of connection.

‘Of course I’m interested. But, are _you_ sure? I mean, I come with a lot, and I mean, a _lot_ , of baggage. I don’t know if dating me would be what is best for your reputation, or your career. There’s a lot of dirt people can dig up on me and it could rub off on you, one way or another. You have to be aware of that.’ She couldn’t help but be worried for him.

Tom shook his head.

‘whatever comes up, we’ll deal with it. It might be a good idea to come clean about your past from the start. That way you beat the press at their own game, and people will see your honesty. I’ll talk to my publicist about what he thinks of the situation, alright?’

Kat nodded to show him that she agreed, but she still had some doubts.

‘You don’t really know me, Tom. You don’t even know how old I am. I can be anti-social at times, and also very stubborn. I need time alone to recharge sometimes, and can clam up during the most inopportune times. I occasionally have panic attacks, which are not pretty. Who knows what you’ll think about dating me, when you find out what kind of a bonkers idiot I really am. I just don’t want you to regret anything later on. I don’t know if I could handle being a disappointment.’

He chuckled and played with a curl in her hair, that cascaded down from behind her ear.

‘Oh, darling woman, that’s just being human. You think I don’t have my bad days? I live a large portion of my time in the spotlight. My every move criticised by the press and fans alike. 

'I know that you’re sweet, but that you also have a wicked sense of humour. I know that you keep a cool head in a stressful situation.’ She knew he was referencing the debacle with his ex in the pub, last Saturday. ‘I know that you are a fighter, who doesn’t give up, no matter what life throws at her. I know that you’re scary smart; Miss-double-masters-degree-from-UCL. I know that you’re very passionate about your writing, and about the characters that find life through you. I know the important things. The rest we’ll weather together.’ Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he gave her hand a soft squeeze. ‘I’m thirty-six. You?’

‘I’ll be thirty-seven at the end of July.’

Tom gazed down at her, amazed.

‘Really?’ You look younger.’

She snickered.

‘Flatterer.’ she teased.

‘No, no, really. I’d thought you younger. But no worries, I don’t mind you being seven months my _senior_.’ He chuckled at that last word.

Kat groaned.

‘Really? You could go with any of the things I've just told you, but that’s the one you latch onto?’

Tom laughed, trying to keep his voice quiet as not to disturb their fellow passenger. Kat would be surprised if they had; the man was snoring louder than they were talking, and if that didn’t wake him up, their conversation wouldn’t either.

‘You know, I’m happy that you’re my age. And that you have such a depth to you. It’s refreshing to be able to have more severe conversations for a change. Dating a twenty something woman is fun and all, but she couldn’t keep up a discussion without it turning into a debate over which one of us was right about something or other, and most of the times it ended in a fight. After which I had to appease her. Quite exhausting when I think back on it.’

Kat raised an eyebrow at him and he had the decency to blush.

‘Right, no talking about the ex when on a first date, or any date, for that matter. Sorry, Love.’ 

‘You’re forgiven.’ She deadpanned; a smile appearing when he started chuckling. ‘What?’ She asked, curious as to why he seemed so amused all of a sudden.

‘Oh, I just remembered what Hemsworth said to me last year, about me seeming to always end up dating women who are much younger than I am. Well, now I have my own older woman, just like he does.’ He expanded his explanation when he saw her questioning gaze. ‘Elsa is seven years older than he is and he’s always teasing me about how I could never find, and hold on to, a woman crazy enough to put up with me, my hectic life, and my work ethic, who is my own age or slightly older. Well, I proved him wrong, haven’t I?’ He was gloating at the thought.

Kat shook her head, flabbergasted.

‘Is that what guys talk about when we women are not around? You’re as bad as a couple of teenage mean girls.’ She snickered at his ‘Hey!’

‘And you haven’t held on to me for a longer time, yet, Hiddleston. This is only the first date, after all. I might have a change of heart when I find out if you’re always this full of yourself.’

He deflated before her eyes. If he’d been a balloon he’d flown around the plane, making fart noises. She giggled at the preposterous thought.

‘I’m not, I promise you. I wasn’t raised that way. My mum would have my head if she ever found out I was behaving like that. Which I haven’t been.’ He shivered at the thought. 

Ha, the man had a healthy dose of respect for his mum and her alleged beheading powers. Good to know. She filed away that tidbit of information for later examination. 

He fished out his phone from the charging dock, which was now hidden under a barrage of pillows -okay, three pillows and a blanket.-, and unlocked it. He looked at her inquiringly.

‘Will you give me your phone number?’ 

Kat fished her phone from under of her bra strap, to Tom’s mirth, and also unlocked it.

‘Sure, if you give me yours. Tit for tat, Hiddleston.’ 

Because they didn’t have cell reception, they typed in each other’s contact numbers into their phones.

‘Do you have social media?’ Tom asked.

She nodded.

‘Um, yes, do you want my professional or my personal handles?’

‘Both, I think. Could come in handy.’

‘Okay, then. I have a Facebook page under K.T. Blackburn. That one is usually managed by my publisher, for book promotions and such. So is my Youtube account. There’s only book promotion videos on there.’ She waited for Tom to find the concerning pages and like and subscribe to them. Then she continued. ‘I have two Twitter accounts, one is @KTBlackburn and I use it to communicate with my readers. Sometimes I do an Ask Me Anything hour. That’s fun… Once you’ve waded through the trolls, that is.’ Tom followed the account, and showed her his @twhiddleston account, to follow back, which she did. With both her Twitter accounts. 

Tom looked at the top of his follower list and noticed her private Twitter handle. Was he laughing at her?

‘Your handle is @DarkWaterDinky?’

‘Yes, why? It’s not that bad, is it? I thought it quite clever. I also have an Instagram account under @darkwaterdinky, if you’d like to follow that too.’

‘Oh, it’s clever alright. Especially when you think about the vastly different meanings the word represents.’

She nodded at his correct designation of the meaning of her handle.

‘That’s what I thought when I came up with the handle. I mean, all those meanings represent me in some way or another. I’m short and some people have called me adorable. Mostly I’m perceived as ‘sweet’. But also, in the past, I’ve been seen as someone insignificant. Not important enough to even scrape from the bottom of ones shoe. I was substandard and broken.

'You think it’s too much, to use as a handle?’

Tom had sobered when he heard her speak of herself in that way.

‘I’m sorry I laughed, but ‘dinky’, in the most positive of ways, is such an adorable description for your stature. I was only amused by that. Nothing else.’ He assured her. ‘I think it’s a subtle way of wordplay and it suits you and the way you weave your tales. So, no, I don’t think it’s too much.’ He followed @DarkWaterDinky and she got a notification that he did.

She didn’t have many followers on that handle, only about two-hundred, give or take a few, and more than half of them she was sure were spam bots.

Mostly she posted pictures of London and surroundings. Taken when she was en route to and from the city centre or when she and her brother went to one of the many parks over the summer. There was the odd selfie here and there, a few with Mack in them, but nothing really personal. 

The last photo she had taken was at the top of her page. It was from when she had been jogging -Okay, mostly walking- over Hampstead Heath, about two weeks before. It was a selfie and it had been bitterly cold, so she was wearing a padded, black, winter running jacket, paired with a knitted aqua-blue scarf around her neck and an oversized dark grey beanie pulled over her dark curls; ringlets escaping from underneath.

She wasn’t wearing any makeup and her cheeks were rosy from the freezing temperatures. 

Her light-grey eyes, surrounded by thick, soot-black eyelashes, were sparkling with happiness and she was smiling widely, her dimples clearly visible in her cheeks, pointing over her shoulder, at a mother and baby deer. She remembered being awed at the tiny and cute little animal and had wanted to share it with the world. The caption read:

‘ _Don’t despair! Spring is almost deer!_ ’

It had gotten a few likes, but nothing more.

She heard a snicker and looked up to where Tom was checking his phone. A peek onto the screen told her he was looking at the same picture she was.

A ping sounded from her phone. She pulled up her notifications.

_@twhiddleston liked your tweet_

She blinked. _O-kay_.

Another ping.

_@twhiddleston shared your tweet_

Wait... What?

She tapped on the link and there it was, on his Twitter page…

**_@twhiddleston_ ** _The personification of Spring. Isn’t she beautiful?_

He had retweeted her tweet… With a caption of his own… To three million followers.

She looked at the top of his page and saw that he had only liked thirteen tweets, hers included. Thirteen. Tweets. And the only things he tweeted, or retweeted, were either Unicef related - _Wow, way to go, Tom!_ \- or promotional material.

‘Tom?’

‘Yes?’ The tone of his voice was innocent. But she now knew how good an actor he was. _Arse_. 

‘Have you any idea what you have done?’ She looked down at her phone and it was going wild with pings. Quickly she turned of the sound, but it kept vibrating like mad, causing her hand to shake. 

‘Maybe?’ He looked utterly devilish with that self-satisfied smirk.

‘You've turned my phone into a fucking _vibrator_ , you oaf!’ She held out the phone to him. ‘I already have a vibrator, I don’t need another.’ His eyes went wide at this information.

‘Sorry?’ He grinned, and she could see how he tried to keep his laugh under control. She could feel his belly shaking behind her back from his suppressed mirth.

Kat looked down at the screen of her phone, which was having trouble with keeping up with all the new notifications.

‘Fer feck’s sake, Tom, ye made my Twitter blow up. My phone is going to crash. It can’t handle all these notifications. I had, like, two hundred followers. I’m up to five thousand, within three and a half minutes… And it’s still counting up. And just look at all these likes and retweets. And all those mentions. Shit, I’m at eight thousand followers now. Tom, _do something_.’ 

Tom took her phone and started fiddling with her Twitter settings. Thankfully he seemed to have found a way to turn off the vibration setting.

‘Here.’ He said, as he handed her back her phone. ‘I’ve disconnected the notifications from coming through on your phone. Oh, and they won’t come into your email inbox anymore either. I’m afraid you’re going to have to go through that with a shovel in the coming days. You might have quite a lot of email.’ He looked slightly apologetic about that. Then he grinned again and pointed at her screen. ‘You just passed the ten thousand followers.’

She looked down at the screen and saw the numbers still going up.

‘Motherfffffffuu…’ Her head fell back against his chest and she closed her eyes in defeat. Tom hugged her to him and lay his head on top of hers.

‘M’sorry.’ He mumbled again, sounding sincerely contrite.

’S’okay.’ She sighed. ‘Not like our arrival at LAX together would have gone unnoticed, anyway. I’ve come to suspect that you, mr Hiddleston, are a bigger player in the entertainment industry than I initially thought. Three million followers… Sheesh…’

Opening her eyes, she turned her head upwards, to nudge his jaw affectionately with her nose.

Tom lifted his head and eyed her inquisitively.

‘What?’ She asked when she saw his contemplative expression.

‘You want to blow up the internet for real?’ He wiggled his eyebrows and looked positively like a naughty little boy who was about to be bad.

‘What are you suggesting?’ She was picking up on his giddy mood and she giggled at the evil face he pulled.

‘Telling the world about, and giving a face to, the famously recluse writer K.T. Blackburn. We’ll make a video and post it to my Twitter. What do you say?’

The question caught her off guard and her hand flew to her face.

‘But I’m not dressed for it. I have no makeup on. I…’

Tom immediately interjected, trying to put those concerns to rest at almost the exact moment they were uttered.

‘If those are the only objections you have, I'll have to say that they are not admissible in this court.’ He jested, and wetted his lips with the tip of his tongue. ‘You look damn sexy in that off the shoulder get-up, and you don’t need makeup to be pleasing to look at. You have a natural glow to you that even shows up on camera. Look at that picture with the deer. You had no makeup on then either. You’re a stunning natural beauty. Now, to get back on topic, are we doing this? Or not?’ He smiled softly at her, letting her take the decision.

Taking a deep breath, she nodded.

‘Okay, let’s do this. What do you need me to do or say?’

Lifting his phone and turning it horizontally, he opened up twitter again and went to the posting icon. Then he turned to her, his expression showing her that he’d just had an idea.

‘I’ve changed my mind about pre-recording a video, I’m about to start a live video-stream. It allows us to see viewers’ comments immediately and respond to them in real-time. It’ll be fun.’ 

When he felt her stiffen from the sudden nervousness that flooded her, he was quick to reassure her. ‘Just respond naturally to me, like you’ve been doing all day, and relax. It’s just us, having fun, and the camera recording that. You’ll do fantastic, I know it.’ He took a deep breath. ‘I haven’t done a livestream before either… Well, not just on my own. I’ve done it when it was for the promotion of a film, with my fellow actors. I must admit I’m also a bit nervous about this, but it will all be fine.’

The faith he seemed to have in her, and the fact that he admitted to being nervous too, calmed her suddenly jumpy nerves. She took a deep breath, and nodded.

‘Okay.’ She said, raking her hands through her curls and checking if her hair wasn’t too unruly after movie night with Tom.

‘I’ll say something first, and then widen the shot so you are in it too, okay?’ 

Kat hummed in agreement.

‘Okay, here we go. Three, two, one, and… action.’


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Breaking the Internet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, incorrect Twitter use ;)

**Chapter 11**

 

Tom tapped the Live button on his phone and a split screen appeared. The left of the screen was showing what was recorded, which was the part of the suite in front of them, with the tv screen paused on The Night Manager.

‘Oh, oops.’ Tom said, and he pressed the camera icon to switch from the back to the front camera. It now showed his face, slightly frowning at the screen in concentration, and the top of her dark curls, which were splayed on his chest. ‘Ah, there we are.’ He smiled triumphantly. ‘Sorry, guys, I’ve never done this on my own before. I’m figuring this out as I go.’ He said into the camera.

The right of the screen consisted of Twitter comments that had started coming in at almost the same moment as he’d started streaming.

The first ones were asking if he’d accidentally started streaming, as he’d never done a stream before. Then there were a few tweets saying that he had activated the wrong camera.

Hearts were floating from the bottom to the top of the screen on the right side of the livestream. Kat followed them with her eyes, wondering what that was all about.

Tom took a deep breath and smiled into the camera.

‘So, I’m doing my first livestream from an airplane. It’s eleven thirty-eight at night in the UK. We’re about eight hours into our flight to the United States. Three to four more hours to go, I think. I have no idea which time-zone we’re over right now.’ He switched from the front to the back camera again and tapped on the interactive airplane screen to pull up the flight information. ‘We’re, ah, flying over either southern Canada, I think it’s Saskatchewan or Manitoba, or we’ve just entered US airspace and we’re over either North Dakota or Montana. It’s a bit difficult to see.’

He seemed to read a few comments and started to laugh.

‘Oh, alright, I’ll turn the camera around again. You are quite the demanding bunch, aren’t you?’

After flipping the camera viewpoint again, he read more comments and chuckled a couple of times. 

The phone was tilted up a bit, so from her point of view, Kat couldn’t really see what they were saying. It peeked her curiosity and she wiggled around on the seat.

Tom started snickering out of the blue. 

‘No, I did not suddenly grow wildly curly, dark brown chest hair.'

Kat held in a laugh at that, clapping her hand over her mouth.

‘Yes, I know there’s moving hair on my chest. That’s because it’s attached to someone who has trouble sitting still.’

He kept reading, his eyes flying over the page to keep up with the barrage of text.

‘Oh, you’re a curious lot. No, it’s not Antonia with a wig on.’ He shook his head at that question. ‘No, she didn’t dye and curl her hair, either.’

He smiled suddenly.

‘Yes, _@SnarkAfterDark_ you guessed right, it’s not Antonia at all.’

He raised an eyebrow.

‘Why not? Well, after five or six weeks of dating, we decided that our personalities didn’t fit as well as we hoped they would when we first met, and we went our separate ways last week. It’s unfortunate, but such things happen, as you have probably experienced yourselves as well, once or twice.’

He quickly changed the subject by answering another question.

‘Hello, _@FiguringOutMyLife_ , thank you, I’m also very happy with how Kong: Skull Island turned out.’ 

Shaking his head, Tom looked amused at what was going on online.

‘You’re going too fast, guys and gals. I can’t keep up with all your questions… I don’t know, _@FlyingCurryBear81_ , she might not be inclined to show herself. She’s known to be quite a hermit.’

Kat let out a soft, ‘hey.’ in protest.

‘Why am I calling this woman a hermit, _@ItalicsAreCool_? Well, because she is. I mean, she’s pretty well known by most of you, I think, but you’ve never seen her.’

He was quiet while he read a bit more.

‘Yes, that ‘hey’ was coming from her. That was her protesting my calling her a hermit.’ He grinned down at her and winked. She stuck her tongue out at him.

Tom looked into the lens with shock written all over his face.

‘Can you believe she just stuck her tongue out at me? The nerve the woman has!’

He read on.

‘How can she be so well known if no-one has ever seen her before? Well, that’s quite the conundrum, isn’t it?’ He didn’t answer the question, Kat noticed. It made for quite the buildup of tension online, keeping his audience in the dark. Quite ingenious, building up the curiosity of his fans like that.

‘Yes, she’s quite short if she’s able to sit like this without being in the shot, _@VolkerDrinks_. You’re right about that.’

Kat bristled. She knew that he was teasing her, so she’d relax a bit and forget about the camera, but enough was enough already.

‘Yer an arse, Hiddleston.’ She sang in a singsongy voice, her Scottish accent coming out in full force.

Tom burst out in suppressed laughter and read more of the comments.

‘Yes, that was her again. She’s not being very courteous, is she?’ He yelped when she poked his side and stuck her tongue out again.

‘Watch that tongue, Darling.’ He deadpanned; then giving her a dangerous smile, loaded with dark promise. Quickly she retracted her tongue. Oomph, was it getting hot in here?

He turned back to the screen.

‘Yes, she’s Scottish. And no, it’s not Karen Gillan. Karen's a ginger and she doesn’t have any curls, remember?’

Looking back down at where Kat was laying on his chest, he smiled.

‘They really want to meet you, Darling. Like, really, really badly. They’re a pushy and curious lot, those Hiddlestoners.’

Kat snorted and put a hand to her mouth to keep quiet.

‘Hiddlestoners?!’ She asked, incredulously.

Tom raised an eyebrow.

‘Wasn’t my idea, they came up with it themselves.’ As he was talking, he zoomed the camera out a bit and tilted it downward slightly, so they were both in the shot. ‘I’m just glad I didn’t get Ben’s fans, they call themselves the Cumberbitches.’

At that, Kat lost it. She dissolved into a heap of giggles, covering her face with her hands and ducking forward, out of frame.

‘Yer joking?’ She looked back at him.

Tom shook his head, smiling. 

‘Oh, poor Ben, he must have been so horrified when he found out.’ And there came the giggles again. 

It took a few seconds for her to recover, but when she did, she sat back up against his chest and addressed the camera with twinkling eyes, her cheeks rosy and her lips turned up in a smile.

‘Sorry about that. I’ve know Ben for quite some time now and I had _no_ idea. I was imagining his face when he found out.’ She snickered. ‘Sorry. Ben, if you see this, I didn’t mean to laugh at you. Sorry.’ She apologised to her pub regular.

Then she sobered and observed herself in the frame of the livestream for a few seconds. Hearts were flying over the screen and comments went by faster than she could read them.

‘Oh, wow, that’s amazing.’ Her eyes were wide with wonder as she leaned forward towards the phone and observed all the activity. Her face was now in extreme closeup. Oops. She leaned back a bit. ’What do those hearts mean?’ She pointed at them and looked back at Tom.

‘That’s all the likes people are giving this stream.’

‘Wow, that’s a lot.’ She was amazed by the sheer numbers of likes. ‘And how are you able to read those comments?’

‘When you tap the screen and hold on a comment, they stop, and when you let go, they start up again. It’s a bit like a roulette game. You can pick the comments to answer, at random.’ He put an arm around her and pulled her closer to him, so he wouldn’t have to stretch his other arm as much. ‘So, how about answering a question about you? Have you said ‘hi’ yet?’

‘Oh, no, I haven’t. I’m so sorry. That’s very rude of me. Sorry.’ She apologetically said into the camera and waved. ‘Hi, I’m Kat… With a K. Short for Katherine. But don’t call me Katherine, please. It’s such a stuck up name…’ She was silent for a moment before she realised what she’d said and her eyes widened. ‘Oh god… My apologies to the duchess of Cambridge. Katherine is a fine name. For royalty… Or anyone else… Just not for me. I’m so sorry to all Katherine’s out there. It’s me, not you.

'Just call me Kat. Shite… Oh, sorry.’ She leaned forward and turned around to see a highly amused Tom trying to hide his chuckles. ‘Tom, please stop me. I’m rambling. I’m fucking the whole thing up… Oh no…’ She looked back at the camera. ‘I’ll stop talking now. Forever. Sorry.’ 

Putting her hands over her face she slid down a bit.

‘Please, kill me now…’ She groaned.

Tom hugged her from behind with one arm, trying to console her, while keeping the phone steady with the other.

‘It’s alright, Darling. It’s just the nerves getting the better of you. I’m sorry for throwing you in the deep end like this.’ He kissed her on the temple and nuzzled the side of her face in an offer of consolation.

‘No, no, it’s not your fault. I always get like this when I’m nervous. I ramble and I run my foul mouth. And now I’ve ruined your livestream. I’m so sorry.’ She peeked from between her fingers and looked at the phone. The hearts were still going strong and so were the comments. But it all depended on what they were saying, of course. What if she ruined his professional reputation with her behaviour? Her breathing was becoming irregular and her heart sped up. Oh no. Not again. 

‘Kat?’ Tom felt the change in her and he sat up straighter. ‘Shit.’ When he saw her ashen colour, he looked into the camera. ‘Sorry guys, I gotta put you down for a minute.’ He left the stream open, but he gave them a lovely view of the ceiling when he put the phone onto the table.

He turned her around in his arms and pulled her hands away from her face. He placed his forehead against hers and kept his eyes on hers.

‘Breathe with me, Darling.’ He said as he put her hands on his chest for her to feel the rhythm of his breathing. ‘Everything is fine. No-one is cross with you, or with me.’ His voice was low and calm.

Kat concentrated on his voice and the rising and falling of his chest and slowly the building panic started to lessen. Her breathing evened out and she didn’t have that flight response raging in the back of her brain anymore. She’d beaten the panic before it really became an issue. Wow. That was a first.

‘That’s it, my darling girl, you’re doing great.’

’S’okay. M’okay.’ She heaved a deep sigh and brought her hand to his cheek. ‘Thank you, Tom.’ She was sure that if he hadn’t been there, it would have ended very differently.

Hugging her tightly to him, he murmured into her hair. 

‘I’m so sorry for pushing you into that livestream. I shouldn’t have done that.’

‘Tom, it’s fine. I just got myself worked up because of my verbal diarrhoea. I’m okay to continue.

He raised his head and his eyes found hers.

‘Are you sure? We can just stop, if it’s too much.’

‘No, no, I’m fine, thanks to you. I want to do the stream.’ She untangled herself from Tom and turned to the table, locating the phone and picking it up.

She gave it a weak smile.

‘I’m so sorry about that. I have anxiety, and all the stress from flying for so many hours, and being on a date with Tom, and then talking to you lovely lot and making a mess of it, well, it got me panicking. But Tom helped and pulled me out before it became a full blown panic attack.’ She took a deep breath and handed the phone back to Tom. Taking her place against his chest again, she pulled the arm that wasn’t holding up the phone, around her, for comfort.

Tom tightened his arm around her and she could feel him giving her a kiss on the crown of her head. Then he smiled into the lens.

‘Okay, we’re back. Let’s see what you have to say about all this and answer a few of your questions.’

He tapped on the screen and froze the comments section. Kat read what people were writing about the stream.

 

**_@infinitewords_ ** _OMG what’s happening? Is she ok?_

 

**_@GlobalHiddles101_ ** _Oh, Wow. Tom, you’re great at helping her! #goals_

 

**_@YourBlueFrost_ ** _She’s so cute, Tom! And don’t worry about the Katherine stuff, I understand being nervous enough to screw up your head. #anxietysucks #TomKat #ship_

 

**_@FreakingMaryPoopins_ ** _Did she just say that they're on a date?_ _I ship it! She looks good on you,Tom! Better than that blond stick insect. #curvygirlsrock #shipallthethings_

 

**_@MewlingForLaufeyson_ ** _But she’s, like, fat?! Why would he be with her?! How old is she anyway?!!! She looks like she’s over thirty. #fuckofffatty #oldhag #Getoutofmyfandom_

 

**_@TrivialPursuitGoneWrong_ ** _OMG!!!! She’s so real!!!! She’s like us!!!!! And he’s on a date with her!!!! #TomKat #thereshopeforuscurvygirls #tomkatship #realgirlsrealworld #oldergirlsrockharder_

 

**_@FreakingMaryPoopins_ ** _@MewlingForLaufeyson She not fat, you absolute #cunt! She’s #curvy in all the right places. Look at her: boobs, hips and arse, but flat tummy. #YOUgetoutofOURfandom #TomKat #ship_

 

**_@infinitewords_ ** _Oh, she’s ok. Anxiety sucks so much. I have it too. Don’t worry about the trolls, Kat. We like you. #TomKat #ship #curvygirlsrock #anxietysucks_

 

**_@QuicksilverSurfer_ ** _You said we’re supposed to know her. I don’t know her. #whoiskat #TomKat #confused_

 

Tom pointed at the last comment and read it out loud to their audience.

‘Right, we have a winner, I think. Do you want to introduce yourself, or should I do it?’ He asked Kat.

Kat swallowed and blinked.

‘Um, you do it. I’m not sure they’ll believe me…’

‘Alright. So, people of the Twitter-sphere, allow me to introduce to you, without much further ado, my date for the night, and one of the sweetest women I’ve ever met, Katherine Blackburn, aka K.T. Blackburn, the urban fantasy author of the Pandemonium series. I can vouch for the correctness of this information. So, no-one start yelling about how it’s a lie. Because it isn’t.’ 

Kat gave a small and awkward wave to the camera.

‘Hi.’ She said quietly; giving their audience a slight smile.

If they’d thought that the feed was hectic before, they were proven wrong after their introduction of Kat was complete.

Tom gave a cross between a chuckle and a giggle.

‘I told you we’d blow up the internet with that news.’ 

Wide-eyed, Kat observed how the screen was almost taken over by hearts and how the comment section was starting to resemble a grey blur. Wow. This was surreal. The viewer count was also still on the rise. They were almost at… what?! She pointed at the counter in the corner of the screen.

‘Is that realtime?’ She asked Tom.

Tom leaned forward and nodded.

‘Yup. Guys, the view counter tells us that there’s almost sixty thousand viewers. Wow!’ He grinned. ‘That’s something, isn’t it? Just a little livestream from thirty thousand feet in the air.’

Kat shook her head.

‘That’s just… Wow… I’m speechless.’ She tapped on the comment section to halt it and read a few comments.

 

**_@GiggleMeThis_ ** _Holy shit! You’re @KTBlackburn?! You’re a woman! OMG I cant believe it! You’re a woman!!!! #KTBlackburnisfemale #thefutureisfemale #Pandemonium #favoriteauthor #KTBlackburn_

 

**_@EssentiallyLoki_ ** _@KTBlackburn and @twhiddleston. are. dating. Blackburn. Hiddleston. Dating. Like, best day EVER!!! #TomKat #Hiddlesburn #Blackston #HiddlesBlack #Burnston #imsohappy #idkwhatimdoing_

 

**_@PandAmanda_ ** _@KTBlackburn is a girl. I repeat: #KTBlackburn is a girl. #GRLPWR #TomKat #Hiddlesburn @twhiddleston is a lucky bastard. #lesbiancrushingonkat #faveauthor #faveactor_

 

**_@GlobalHiddles101_ ** _OMG @KTBlackburn is my favourite author. I was in love with the books even before I was converted to the @twhiddelston fandom! #tomhiddleston is #dating #KTBlackburn #TomKat #yearmade_

 

**_@BeyondTheRainbowBridge_ ** _I’m shook. #TomKat #tomhiddleston #ktblackburn #ship_

 

**_@Marypickscherries_ ** _Tom &Kat dating is my nw #relationshipgoals. Their both such adorable puppies. Apologising for everything 2 us and eachother & Tom helping her. #TomKat #ship_

 

**_@Pupperston1991_ ** _OMGOMGOMG I can’t believe it! My fave actor and my fave author are on a date with each other! You are so cute together! #TomKat #ship #ishipit_

 

**_@MrsHiddleston21_ ** _Fucking bitch your not good enough for Tom. Get away from him you hore. I don’t believe your @KTBlackburn, your just a slut!_

 

Kat looked at Tom with wide eyes and pointed at the last comment.

‘Oh, wow, that one is not really nice, are they?’ She said.

Tom shook his head in disappointment.

‘Guys and girls, I’ve seen a couple of you be less than courteous on the feed next to our livestream. If you can’t behave yourselves, I’ll block you and report you. Abuse is atrocious, no matter in which form it comes and there will be a no tolerance policy from now on. This is your one and only warning.’ He stared into the lens with a very intense and impressive scowl. Kat could feel his tenseness after reading the comment.

She squeezed his hand.

‘Tom, it’s fine. Some people need to vent online because their real lives are unbearable. We don’t know if the person behind the handle is just an arsehole troll, or someone who is hurting so deeply that they can’t help but lash out at anyone and everyone.’ She gave him a kiss on the cheek and he looked at her, his gaze softening. He nodded slightly in understanding.

Kat picked up her phone. 

‘Now, for you who still don’t believe I’m me, I’ll prove it to you. Once and for all.’ She pulled up her @KTBlackburn twitter handle and typed in a message on the livestream page. Reading it out loud as she wrote it.

‘ ** _@KTBlackburn_** _hello everyone, I’m most definitely the woman sitting on the plane with @twhiddleston. #callmeKatnotKatherine #anxietysucks #TomKat #tomhiddleston #ktblackburn #ship #KTBlackburnisfemale #yesIam #Pandemonium._ Okay, guys and gals, here it comes.’ She tapped the send icon and there it went, smack dab in the middle of the rest of the comments.

‘If you can’t find it in the jumble that is this livestream's feed, go to my Twitter page to see it there. Cheers!’ She held up her phone to show them the tweet and gave a sweet smile, the dimples in her cheeks visible. ‘So, are there any interesting questions you guys and gals want to ask us?’

She tapped on the screen and read a few of the questions out loud, to answer them right after. Tom joining in frequently. Some of the comments had them both in stitches and others were just heartwarming and sweet. 

It looked like Tom’s warning about starting to block people who were abusive toward them had been taken to heart. The abusive wording had been toned down and the negative comments that were still there, were just opinions by people who were less happy with their dating announcement.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cuteness galore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing but my OC's and this story.
> 
> I make no money with this story.
> 
> I just love building sand castles in my Sandbox.

**Chapter 12**

 

They were still answering questions, ten minutes later, when a familiar -to Tom- twitter handle was visible in the comments section.

‘Hey, that’s Bob.’ He said, surprised.

Kat looked at the tweet, and chuckled.

 

**_@RobertDowneyJr_ ** _Gotta give it to the man, he works fast. You’re such a sweetie, Katie. See you soon, lovebirds! @KTBlackburn @twhiddleston #TomKat #ishipitsohard ;p ;p ;p_

 

‘Thanks, Bob! See you soon!’ She said into the lens and waved.

Tom took over the narrative again and answered a few more questions.

‘Where and when we met? Well, I’m not going to answer that one, because it would give away the location of her living address and her brother’s business and I don’t want their association with me to have a negative impact on their day to day lives. I hope you understand. I _can_ tell you that we have met before, but that I gathered the courage to ask her on a date, only moments before I did ask her, when I saw she was on the same flight, today.’

Kat interrupted with a grin.

‘You should have seen it! It was so cute, he was all shy and flustered. It was one of the reasons I said ‘yes’.’

Tom bristled behind her.

‘Hey, you’re ruining my reputation of being a smooth gentleman.’ He complained.

She giggled.

‘Sorry to burst your bubble, Hiddleston, but I think they already know about the geeky cuteness behind the polished veneer.’ She stage-whispered behind her hand.

He looked into the camera with an expression of shock.

‘They do? Are you sure?’ He stage-whispered back in mock horror.

Tapping her finger on the comments to stop them, she ginned into the lens.

‘Just look at these tweets, hon, they do not reflect the statements of people who are of the ‘Tom-is-a-polished-English-gentleman-and-nothing-else’ persuasion.’

They were silent while they read a few of the comments.

 

**_@PipingHotTea41_ ** _OMG! @RobertDowneyJr just reacted to #TomKat, guys! He’s in the #ship with us!!! And who could blame him? They’re just so perfect for each other! #soulmates #KTBlackburn #tomhiddleston_

 

**_@Pupperston1991_ ** _I’m melting! I want someone to look at me the way @twhiddleston looks at @KTBlackburn! #TomKat #ship #hot #curvygirlsrock #cutecoupleoftheyear_

 

**_@TriflesWithTribbles_ ** _You’re my oddball couple of the century! I ship you so hard! Just think of all the literature you have between you! #TomKat #oddballcouple #ship #intellectuals #books #allthebooks_

 

**_@HardlyAnnieLeft_ ** _Fave celeb couple EVER! @twhiddleston @KTBlackburn I love your collective dorkiness! You’re so awesome together! #TomKat #KTBlackburnisfemale #ship #dorks #dorkship #tomhiddleston #katblackburn_

 

**_@ChrisEvans_ ** _Why wasn’t I informed that Loki has found himself an author to woo?! @RobertDowneyJr @chrishemsworth @iamsebastianstan @MarkRuffalo @Renner4Real @SamuelLJackson #tomkat_

 

Tom pointed at the last comment.

‘Oh… shit… I think Cap just called to assemble!’ He laughed.

Kat turned her head and gazed at him with an uncomprehending expression.

‘I hear you speak English, but I have no clue what you just said.’

‘Oh, right. Sorry. Um… So, I played the antagonist in a movie called Avengers. My name was Loki, prince of Asgard. And his character kicked some human ass. Until he didn’t. The Avengers Initiative stopped him. The man who sent this tweet played the leader of the Avengers, and he just called out to the others who have ties to the movies. It’s a multi-movie series now, so, yeah. We joke around like that.’ 

He addressed the camera; his voice sounding different. More refined and colder, somehow. Kat blinked in surprise. What the hell?

‘Thank you for that, Captain America… You could have kept this low-key, but you just had to go and assemble the lot, didn’t you?’ He shook his head in mock disgust. 

Kat turned around completely now. 

‘What the hell was that?’ She asked, completely flummoxed by his sudden behavioural change.

And then her Tom was back, chuckling amusedly.

‘Oh, that was Loki.’ He grinned. ‘He sometimes wants to come out and play. No worries.’

‘No worries, he says.’ She turned back to the camera. ‘Is that normal for him?’ She whispered conspiringly at their audience. ‘I didn’t know he was such a famous actor, until today.’ She pulled a face. ‘Yes, I know what you are thinking, how can she not know about _him?!_ Well, I’ve been a bit busy these last few years, and him calling me a hermit earlier? That wasn’t very far off the mark. So, can you help a girl out and answer the question? Should I be worried?’

She could see on the phone screen that Tom was pretending not to hear any of it, but a smirk played on his lips. The man was thoroughly enjoying himself. And so was she. She couldn’t remember if she ever had this much fun on a date. It had been quite serious and shocking at some points, for the both of them, but over all she was having a grand time.

She tapped the screen again and read what people had to say about Tom.

 

**_@CoffeeClara_ ** _.@KTBlackburn don’t worry, he’s fine… Sooooo fine ;) #TomKat #TomHiddleston #KatBlackburn #ship_

 

**_@BlackburnsAngel46_ ** _Tom is prone to imitating people’s voices (and good at it). Loki does make an appearance every now and then. Other than that, you’re good. #TomKat_

 

**_@trickstertricksaretricky_ ** _You have a lot of catching up to do @KTBlackburn! How I envy you, seeing all those awesome movies and series for the first time! <3 #TomKat @twhiddleston #watchallthemovies_

 

**_@GiveMeMyTesseract_ ** _Do you know you’re #trending on @Twitter? #TomKat is in the top 5 and #KTBlackburnisfemale is at #8!!! #tomhiddleston and #katblackburn are at #48 and #59. Awesome!_

 

**_@RobertDowneyJr_ ** _You’re blowing up Twitter, @KTBlackburn @twhiddleston. Kat, check your messages! I hope this gets to you. Twittersphere, can you help me reach them? RT plz. #TomKat_

 

Oh… Oops. Kat grabbed her phone and opened her messages. Nine new. She looked into the camera.

‘Okay Bob, your tweet came through, reading the messages right now.’ She turned to Tom. ‘Shall we say goodbye to our lovely audience? We’ve been at it for almost an hour and they must get tired of seeing our old mugs all that time.’ She gave the screen a wink.

Tom nodded and stretched with one arm.

‘Yes, good idea. This old mug was hoping to get an hour or two of shut eye before we landed, so, goodbye to all you lovely people. See you next time!’ He smiled into the camera.

Kat waved and grinned.

‘Bye, peeps!’

With that, Tom stopped the livestream and flexed his arm to loosen the muscles.

‘Ouch, that gets painful after a while.’ He remarked, massaging his lower arm.

‘Good job on keeping the phone so stable for so long.’ Kat said and tapped the arm he was massaging, to show her appreciation. ‘Well, that was more fun and less nerve-wracking than I expected it to be. Most of your fans are sweethearts.’

He hummed in agreement and placed his phone on the table before wrapping both his arms around her to swoop her up in a bearhug. 

‘You did so well, Kat. I’m proud of you.’ His voice had a tone to it, which she’d only heard in Mack’s voice before. When she’d graduated from high school. When she was one month clean. One year clean. And when she got her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. When she wrote her first book. When she wrote her second… 

It was sad, actually, that she could only recognise pride in someone’s voice because it hadn’t been directed at her by anyone, but her brother, in her whole life. It felt good, though, that she’d also heard it in Tom’s voice.

‘Thank you.’ She whispered, suddenly feeling a bit shy. Turning, so she now was sideways in the seat -and on Tom’s lap, more or less-, she burrowed deeper into his arms, burying her face in his jumper. She basked in the warmth of his embrace for a moment longer and then heaved a deep sigh, untangling herself from the hug.

‘I’d better see what Bob was on about. It sounded like it was urgent.’

She stood up and looked down at Tom, who was gazing up at her with a very peaceful and content expression on his face. 

‘What?’ She asked with a questioning smile, wondering what was going on behind those crystal clear blue eyes.

He smiled lazily and gestured between them.

‘I just realised how rare it is that two people have such a connection like the one we have, right from the start, and that I’m very happy that I’ve met you.’

Smiling softly at him, Kat bent over and kissed his cheek.

‘What a lovely thing to say, Tom. I’m happy to have met you, too. Now, go get some sleep, while I work out things with Bob.’

Nodding, Tom stretched in his seat, almost resembling the languid grace of a big cat, his jumper creeping up to reveal the taut skin of his lower abdomen above the low-riding black jeans; part of his six-pack and the v-line of his hips becoming visible. A trail of blond hairs trailed down from his navel and into his jeans. 

Catching the movement and the glimpse of trained body underneath his clothes, made Kat wet her lower lip subconsciously with the tip of her tongue; a tingle of something warm slowly traveling through her tummy. She caught herself and felt a blush creeping up her cheeks. A swift look at Tom revealed he’d seen her gaze wander. 

‘And I also really, really, like how you respond to me, physically.’ His voice was quiet now, and low and smooth, with a light growl hidden just beneath the surface, his tone filled with heat. A slow, seductive smile spread over his face, his eyes dark and hooded. The half teasing, half serious mood he seemed to be in, was making her feel hot all over.

_Oh dear… That’s… Wow…_ Kat didn’t think she was ready for that… Yet. She cleared her throat and straightened, blushing even deeper.

‘I, um, I better go see what, um, Bob was texting about. Um… Good night.’ She stammered, hoping she wasn’t too rude in ignoring what he’d just said. It was just… a bit too soon for her to think of… that.

Tom’s smile widened and he tilted his head toward her in silent understanding and acceptance of her hesitance. 

‘You do that, darling. I’ll be right here if you need me.’ His tone was warm and friendly again. 

She gave him a quick, relieved smile and took the five steps back to her own suite.

Now, what did Bob have to say that couldn’t wait until she’d arrived?

She unlocked her phone again. 

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

What are you youngsters doing, KittyKatie? It looks like you’re blowing up the internet.

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

Looking cosy. You’re so sweet together.

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

Ok, I think this is blowing up a bit too much, this could mean complications. Complications are not good. They suck, Katie.

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

There is talk on the interwebz about you and Tom. Media are picking up the story. Am suspecting lots of paps at LAX. 

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

I fear pandemonium at airport. Am taking countermeasures. Bringing security team.

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

In talks with airport. They will provide an escort from plane to baggage-claim and to immigration/passport control. After that I’m taking over.

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

Am suspecting that some fans are coming to airport to see you and Tom. Might be a good idea to wear sunglasses and a hat. Not to be incognito, because that would be impossible with that frost giant at your side, but it helps with blocking out the camera flashes. Do you have a hat? Did you bring sunglasses? Never mind, I’ll bring you some.

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

For fucks sake, check your messages, KittyKat! 

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

Right. Time to break into your livestream and alert you to the goings on on the ground. Pick up your phone!!!

 

**_KittyKatie_ **

I’m here. I’m slightly alarmed. What’s happening?

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

Hey, KittyKat! No need to be too alarmed. I have everything under control. Just be vigilant when you enter the airport. Stay calm and keep your wits about you. It’s pandemonium out there. Get it? Pandemonium? Teehee.

 

**_KittyKatie_ **

You’re not really good at putting people at ease, are you?

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

I like stirring up people, so sue me. Chaos is the drug I thrive on these days. ;) :P

 

**_KittyKatie_ **

Fair enough. So, talk me through that whole airport plan of yours.

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

Right. You and Tom will be picked up at your gate by airport staff. They’ll escort you through security and baggage-claim. Then they’ll walk you to the arrivals hall, where I’ll be waiting with my security detail. They’ll take over and get us all to the cars, which are parked outside the arrivals hall. The airport staff has been alerted to the possibility of fans being present and the influx of paparazzi.

 

**_KittyKatie_ **

Okay, I think I can deal with that. Fuck, if I’d known that stream would cause such a stir, I’d have refused to do it. I feel terrible for inconveniencing all these people. And you. :(

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

Aww, Kat, it’s not your fault. You didn’t know how this sort of activity could blow up on you. That said, I think Tom should have thought twice before starting that stream. He has been in this life for much longer than you have and he knows the risks that are linked to an action like this. But, then again, his brain might have been a bit addled by the proximity of a certain dark-haired beauty we both know. Who could blame him for that. And there’s no need to needle him about it, either; I think his publicist is going to go nuclear on him as soon as the UK wakes up. Poor bastard.

 

Kat laid her head back against the headrest of her seat and groaned softly. She’d been having so much fun tonight that she hadn’t considered the consequences of any of it. She should have seen it. 

The enormous online response to their stream… It should have made her more hesitant about divulging things about her identity or their destination, but being there with Tom had made her feel almost invincible. And not a little exuberant. She’d been on an emotional high. Fuck.

The texts she exchanged with Bob had set everything in perspective again. There was a reason she’d stayed incognito as a writer. Especially when her popularity grew exponentially. She didn’t want the spotlight. She just wanted to write. This new development sucked. And she had only herself to blame for it.

Although her literary agents would be ecstatic about this huge reveal and the corresponding publicity that went with it. They would be able to book her for talkshows now, and book-tours. Everything she’d been refusing with the excuse that she wanted to remain anonymous. Well, that logic wasn’t going to keep them quiet anymore. Dammit. 

Rubbing her face she cursed herself silently and then went back to texting Bob.

 

**_KittyKatie_ **

Well, the poor bastard is snoring away right now, so he’ll be nicely rested by the time we land. 

 

And she was right, deep breaths, alternated with soft snores, could be heard from Tom’s suite. It was quite endearing, and not annoying at all, unlike the loud snores coming from the other side of the cabin. It was a wonder Tom had been able to fall asleep at all. She had no idea how anyone could sleep through that racket.

 

**_FakeSherlock_ **

Oooh, what did you two do that he’s knocked out like that?

 

**_KittyKatie_ **

Get your mind out of the fucking gutter, you meddlesome gossip!

 

**_FakeSherlock_**

Oh, alright, it’s not like half the world isn’t your witness that nothing but cuddling happened. Well, I’ll let you get some rest too, and I’ll see you two in about two hours. Have a good one.

 

**_KittyKatie_ **

Bye, Bob. :)

 

Kat turned off her phone and started to tidy her suite, putting her laptop back into its bag, packing up the amenity kit and her writing pad and pen into the backpack. Earlier, she’d asked if she could take the kit with her and the flight attendant had answered in the positive.

After she’d put everything to rights, stowing away her luggage into the locker, and had put away the folding table, she let her seat slide down until she found an agreeable position to slumber a bit until landing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone reading this story and thinking: hey, I like it, I want more stories like this one.
> 
> Well, I've got 9 stories up so far, about various subjects, in various stages of completion. Go to my profile if you want to read more. Or not. No hard feelings. :)


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arriving in LA. Big crowds can be so scary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing.
> 
> I make no money from this story.
> 
> I think I dreamt of my Sandbox last night.

**Chapter 13**

 

‘Ms Blackburn?’ A soft hand on her shoulder startled her awake. She instinctively recoiled from the touch as she woke up, bringing up her arms in defence.

‘Wha…’ She said blearily, feeling quite disoriented. For a fraction of a second she was back in Scotland, and only eight years old. Thank god she’d learnt to pull herself from that mindset, within seconds of awakening from unexpected touches or sounds. Otherwise she might have screamed in fright.

‘I’m sorry, ms Blackburn, but we are going to land in a few minutes. If you could put your seat in the upright position, please.’ Kat blinked up at the flight attendant, who had a friendly smile on her face.

‘Oh, um, yes, of course, sorry. I seem to have dosed off a bit more than I expected. Thank you for waking me.’ She sat up. A blanket, which hadn’t been there before, falling down to her lap. Ah, that’s why she’d been so cosy and warm. One of the attendants must have covered her after she fell asleep.

Handing the blanket back to the attendant with a soft ‘thank you’, she proceeded to put her seat back into the upright position. She hid a big yawn behind her hand as she tried to wake up completely.

‘What time is it?’

‘It’s six thirty-five in the evening, local time. We’ll be landing in about ten minutes. Five minutes ahead of schedule.’ The attendant sounded quite proud of that fact. Kat supposed it was admirable that they were that punctual when a flight of this duration was concerned.

She nodded in thanks.

‘Okay, thank you.’ She smiled at the attendant, who then walked on to Tom’s suite. He was apparently already awake and she helped him with putting away his luggage, so it would be stowed safely for landing.

Ten minutes later the wheels of the plane’s landing gear touched down on the tarmac of Los Angeles International Airport. Looking out the window, Kat noticed that twilight had begun and lights already started to twinkle in the dusky light. It appeared to be a wonderfully clear day and the sky was beautifully streaked with blues, and pinks, and oranges.

Slowly, they taxied toward their arrival gate. Kat tied the laces of her comfy grey sneakers and when she sat up, the fasten seatbelt sign had turned off, and the walkway was already being pushed up against the plane. The pilot gave his customary goodbyes through the intercom, and then it was time to grab her luggage from the storage locker.

As she stood up, her eyes found Tom, who was getting up at the same moment she was.

‘Well, hello there, ms Blackburn. How fortuitous it is meeting you here.’ He teased good-naturedly.

Kat gave him a wide smile and stepped into his welcoming arms, nuzzling into his chest and breathing in his lovely scent. 

‘Hi, Tom.’ She sighed and hugged him tightly.

His arms constricted around her and he placed a kiss on the top of her head.

‘Ah, that’s a greeting I could get used to, darling.’ He mumbled. ‘So, tell me, what did Bob have to say that was so urgent that it couldn’t wait until we landed?’

Stepping back slightly, Kat looked up and gave him a grimace.

‘Huh, that bad, eh?’ He asked.

She nodded.

‘It looks like our airplane livestream has garnered a bit more attention than either of us had expected. According to Bob, we can expect an army of paparazzi photographers in the arrivals hall and outside the airport. And as of two hours and a bit ago, it looked like quite a few of your fans, and some of mine, were of a mind to welcome us to LA, in person… So… I guess there’s going to be a welcome… wagon…’ She trailed off and shrugged. Nothing to be done about that now. ‘Bob has arranged an escort for us through passport control, baggage claim and customs and after that, he is standing by with his security team, to usher us into a car, which will then transport us to Bob's house.’

‘Aw shite.’ Tom cursed, looking a bit pissed off. Kat wondered if it was with her. She felt a nervous flutter in her tummy. Things had been arranged without his knowledge or consent. Maybe he was unhappy with that. 

His next words set her nerves to rest, however. ‘I’m so sorry, Kat. I didn’t consider the consequences of that livestream enough. I was too focussed on us, to weigh the drawbacks of my actions against the fun we’d have. Now we’re left with the fall-out. I know how you try to keep out of the public eye, and now my actions have thrust you into it. I’m so sorry, darling.’ His expression was contrite and she had a feeling he was mentally beating himself up about his oversight.

Hugging him again, she was quick to put him at ease.

‘It’s alright, Tom. Everyone makes mistakes… And you have to admit, we had a lot of fun during that livestream.’ She smiled up at him mischievously.

The shame on his face gave way to astonishment, a tentative smile starting on his lips.

‘You mean, you’re not angry with me?’ He sounded so surprised and relieved, that Kat wondered what kinds of girlfriends he’d had in the past few years, if only one mistake had him this wary of her reaction. Well, of course she’d seen Antonia’s behaviour, but had that been a once off, or a recurring pattern in his paramours? She was leaning to the latter if his wariness was an indication.

Shaking her head, she broke the hug to stand up on her tippy toes and pull him down by his shirt. She deposited a soft kiss on his lips in answer, which he enthusiastically returned.

Someone clearing their throat behind them had them spring apart like a couple of naughty teenagers. Oops.

Kat turned her head toward the sound and saw a highly amused flight attendant waiting for them.

‘Ms Blackburn, mr Hiddleston, your security detail is waiting for you at the airplane exit. They will accompany you to the arrivals hall.’

Tom thanked the woman and opened his locker, which only held his padded jacket and a black backpack.

Kat did the same and heaved her laptop backpack on her back and then picked up her trolley to extend the telescopic handle so she could pull it behind her.

‘That’s all you have with you?’ Tom sounded surprised, and a bit impressed.

Nodding, she smiled at him over her shoulder.

‘Yup, I decided to travel light, it minimises the hassle. And I’ll only be here a week and a half. I figured a few dresses, shorts and t-shirts were enough for such a warm part of the US.’

‘Smart girl.’ The tone of his voice was appreciative. ‘We’ll have to go past baggage claim, though, because I have one checked bag to pick up. Sorry about that.’

‘Oh, that’s okay, I wasn’t assuming you’d traveled even lighter than me, with only that backpack, which, I've noticed, is almost completely empty.’ She said over her shoulder as she stepped out of the plane and onto the walkway, greeting and thanking the flight attendants on her way out.

She heard Tom chuckle at her cheekiness, and then do the same. Then they were on the walkway, Tom walking up next to her, taking her small hand in his big one and weaving their fingers together.

‘I hope this is alright?’ He asked.

Kat acquiesced and squeezed his hand in thanks. She was more nervous than she was letting on, but somehow Tom was attuned to her mood, and he was showing support with the small gesture. Which wasn’t that small to Kat. There hadn’t been many people in her life who would offer their support by just being there next to her. It was strengthening her resolve to see this through, and it convinced her, more and more, that being with Tom was worth the slight discomfort it brought her when she had to be in the spotlights with him.

At the end of the walkway, they were welcomed to Los Angeles by two male airport employees. They were both quite tall and broad and had clearly been selected to handle any disturbances her and Tom’s presence could cause. 

The men were friendly but quiet, as they escorted them through passport control; which was apparently a lot less hassle when you were a rich and famous person than when you belonged to the regular populace. Even she was waved through with ease, by association. It was a bit anticlimactic if she was honest with herself. She’d heard stories of regulars at the pub, who went to the US and were kept at passport control or customs for hours, just because they didn’t answer the posed questions to the satisfaction of the officer in charge.

By the time they got to the conveyor belts at baggage claim, the baggage was already on the belt, and Tom almost immediately spotted his duffle-bag. He dove for the bag and hoisted it onto his shoulder, offering Kat his left hand again as they were brought to customs. They were waved through there as well. Everything was fine from the moment they recognised Tom. It must be nice to always be able to travel like that, Kat mused as she chuckled about the surreality of that realisation.

Tom raised an eyebrow at her.

‘What?’ He asked quietly.

‘Must be nice to be you, breezing through security like that, every time they recognise you.’

He tilted his head as he thought about it.

‘Well, that sometimes happens, yes, but usually I’m not through _this_ quickly. I think our security detail has something to do with that… And the ever scheming RDJ of course.’ He joked.

Kat frowned, confused by the abbreviation.

‘RDJ?’

‘Robert Downey Jr.’ Tom said by way of explanation.

‘Ah.’ She laughed softly. ‘I hadn’t made the connection. Good one.’

Tom chuckled and squeezed her hand in amusement. They were silent for a few moments, until they got to a set of sliding doors. Tom halted and looked at her, his expression a bit worried.

‘So, this is where the mayhem starts. Behind these doors is the arrivals hall, and if everything you just told me has come to fruition, it’s going to be loud and quite invasive on the senses. Keep your head and your eyes down, to protect yourself from the paparazzi’s flash-photography. It can really impede your sight and your equilibrium. Just hold onto me and you’ll be fine, ok?’

Kat swallowed and nodded. Tom bent over slightly and gave her a tender kiss. 

‘It will be alright.’ He whispered against her lips.

Then he was upright again, hoisting his duffle bag further up, so he had a good grip on it, and putting his right arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side protectively.

Automatically, Kat put her left arm around his waist, fingers finding the belt loop on the left side of his jeans and holding on for dear life. The feeling of his strong, warm body pressed up against hers, was somehow very comforting and unbelievably exciting at the same time. It made her feel safe, but didn’t do anything to lower her blood pressure. She almost giggled from the nerves that were flying through her system, but she caught herself just in time.

Taking a deep breath, she tightened the arm around Tom’s waist to signal she was ready, and in answer he pulled her further into him, probably determined to shield her as much as possible from the chaos that would almost certainly be coming their way.

Tom then gently pulled her along with him, through the doors and into the arrivals hall.

There was nothing that could have prepared her for the enormity of the noise and light that started as soon as they stepped into the hall. There were shouts and screams and so much light. Flashes going off in front, and to the left and right of them. It blinded her so much, that she had no idea where Tom was leading her. She was completely disoriented. all she could do was put one foot in front of the other and hope for the best. 

People were immediately shouting questions at them. They were quite rude and sometimes even vulgar, trying to provoke a reaction from them, but mostly from Tom.

‘Tom! Where’s Antonia? Did you really break up?’

‘Tom! Tom! Is she really a writer, or is she just another conquest of yours?’

‘Kat! Is it true that he cheated on Antonia with you?’

‘Tom! Are you downgrading? I mean, look at her! Compared to Antonia she’s a fat, frumpy mess! Are you sleeping with ms Blackburn because you want a role in her upcoming movie series?’ 

Well, at least Kat knew that that last bit wasn’t true. Tom had revealed the duplicity of the producers to her, risking the film series never even being made, before she’d offered him to read for the part of Iain. And he hadn’t slept with her, however the outside world may think otherwise.

‘Tom! Tom! Tom! We heard that Antonia was tipped for the role of Anna. How do you feel about working with her after your breakup, when you’re cast as Malachy?’

‘Kat! Is it true that you’re _the_ K.T. Blackburn? Or did you make that up to get close to Tom? Are you a stalker?’

‘Tom! Give us a smile! A pic of you and your lady! Come on, Tom! Don’t be a spoilsport!’

Tom! Kat! Did you do the livestream for publicity?’ 

‘Kat! Is it really true that Tom and you had your first date on the plane? Did you kiss him? Did you fuck him? You a member of the Mile High Club now?’

That last question felt so invasive, it made her shudder with revulsion. It made her feel so tainted. How could anyone be so unbelievably crass to another person, let alone a person they didn’t even know?

From above, she heard Tom’s low voice reassuring her that everything was going to be okay, and that she should ignore the paps and their questions, and that they were nearly halfway to the car. It was only because of him that she hadn’t descended into a panic attack yet. His warmth and the strength at her side, helped to keep her grounded, when all her other senses were useless in understanding the chaos and the vile paparazzi that surrounded them.

She kept the fingers of her left hand tightly hooked into the belt hoop of his jeans. Under her hand she felt the movement of his muscles and tendons as he walked. She focussed on that. If she didn’t let go, she wouldn’t lose him in the chaos that surrounded them, and if she didn’t lose him, she wouldn’t lose herself. Hopefully. It would be a nightmare to fall apart in front of all these people, and give those media vultures exactly what they wanted.

Bob had been right about it being a “pandemonium”. She could almost see him raise his hands in the air and make quotation marks with his fingers as he said it. The random thought made her giggle almost hysterically. And once she'd allowed that emotion into the iron grip she had on her mind, it was like a dam had broken.  Shivers started to wrack her body, from her muscles contracting from stress, so much, that she was almost vibrating under Tom’s arm. She tried to keep her breathing steady, but it was getting harder. There was just too much to process. She wasn’t used to this. 

Fuck. If she’d only gone out more and gotten used to the masses of people that usually occupied the streets of London. But, no, she had to stay safely ensconced in her flat and only go out if it was absolutely necessary. _Stupid, stupid, stupid. Stupid Kat. Always so stupid. Dumb, **useless** cunt_.

Wait… No. That was not true. She wasn’t stupid, or useless. That was just a voice from a long buried past that had seen a weakness in her psyche and latched onto it like a parasite.

Quickly she took a deep breath, almost gulping it in, and pushed the darkness away. That darkness didn’t have a place in her life anymore. It was part of her and of her past, but that was where it would stay. It shouldn’t affect her in the now. She wouldn’t let it.

Holding even tighter on to Tom, she gripped the handle of her trolley with her right hand until her knuckles were white, as she pulled it along with them. She chanced a look around and saw a sea of people on both sides of where they were flanked by at least seven or eight of the tallest and broadest men she’d ever seen. Their masses pushing back against the surging crowds, allowing Tom and her some breathing and walking space.

Was this Bob’s security detail? They looked more like soldiers than like bodyguards, but she figured that that was the point. They were a repellent for the nastier kind of people. _“Don’t come any closer, or we will take you down,”_ their demeanour almost seemed to scream. 

It looked like their formation was pretty effective. Apart from the shouted questions of the paps and a continuous flashing of cameras, nothing else came through the wall they formed between the crowd and her and Tom. Suddenly she was eternally grateful for Bob’s insights and adequate handling of the situation. If it wasn’t for him, she didn’t know what would have happened. She didn’t even want to think about having to brave the enthusiastic crowd alone. 

Thanks to the men surrounding them, and the sense of security they gave her, she felt lighter than before. She could breathe a little easier and her death grip on Tom loosened slightly. Walking straighter, and now actually being able to see where they were going, and seeing that they were almost at the exit, also helped in calming her down.

‘Almost there, Darling. You’re doing great.’ Tom had bent towards her and whispered in her ear.

Kat looked up and sent him a tense smile. 

‘What mayhem have we unleashed?’ Her voice was a bit shaky when she answered him.

There was a flash of uncertainty on his face, before he gave her a wry smile. It told her he hadn’t thought their livestream would have had such an chaotic outcome, either. Then he shrugged.

‘Nothing to be done about it now but get to that car as fast as we can and leave before we get into even more trouble.’ He said with determination and picked up his pace, forcing Kat to match his huge stride.

‘Tom, you’re going too fast with your three mile long legs! I can’t keep up if you don’t slow down a bit. You really are like Coeus, aren’t you? You titan.’ She complained.

He chuckled, although she couldn’t hear it, she felt it rumble against her side, where they were pressed together.

‘Well, I can’t help it that you’re such a shorty, Puck!’ He teased, but he did slow down slightly, so she didn’t have to half-run next to him anymore.

After what had seemed like hours, but was probably not more than a few minutes, they reached the exit.

Without much further ado, Tom and Kat were ushered towards a big black SUV. It had tinted windows and gleamed almost forbiddingly under the glare of the bright airport lamps.

One of the bodyguards opened the door for them, while another one took both Tom’s duffle bag and her trolley and deposited them into the booth of the car.

Tom gallantly helped her onto the high step at the side of the car and then into it, after she’d taken of her backpack and slung it onto the backseat. Instead of hearing the thunk of her bag hitting the seat, she heard a slight oomph. 

Did she just throw her bag onto someone? She looked up as she entered the car and saw Bob lifting her bag from his person and depositing it gingerly onto the floor by his feet. _Oops…_

‘It’s lovely to see you too, KittyKatie.’ The man drawled with twinkling eyes.

‘Oh, fuck, sorry, Bob, didn’t see you there.’ She apologised quickly, still a bit out of breath from their brisk walk through the airport arrivals hall, and from all the stress that had accumulated in her body.

With shaking hands she took his hand as he pulled her onto the seat next to him. Then Tom climbed into the backseat as well. The door was closed behind him with a soft thud. Immediately the noise from outside was as good as gone. The car was so well isolated that nearly nothing was coming through.

Kat sighed in relief and leaned back against the cushions before sagging sideways into Tom, closing her eyes.

‘Kat, are you okay?… Is she alright?’ Kat heard Bob ask Tom when she didn’t answer the question that had been directed at her. 

‘M’just so tired.’ She mumbled. And she couldn’t keep her eyes open. She really, really tried, but it was to no avail, she felt like she was crashing. What time was it in the UK anyway? Must be the middle of the night. No wonder she was so groggy. The time-difference, combined with the high stress levels her body had experienced over the past day, had resulted in her body shutting down for sleep. The last thing she consciously saw, was one of the bodyguards joining the chauffeur -again, a giant of a man- in the front and giving the go-ahead for leaving. After that, she dozed, and floated on the subdued murmurs of the men’s conversation, which was taking place over her head. 


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morning at Bob's house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing.
> 
> I make no money with this story.
> 
> This is my Sandbox.

**Chapter 14**

 

Stretching, Kat wallowed in the fluffy softness that surrounded her as she woke up slowly. She felt so comfy and warm, the smell of freshly washed linen all around her. Light shone through her closed eyelids, but she was hesitant to open her eyes, it was too enjoyable to just lay there. She could hear birds twittering outside, through an open window, and felt a light breeze that carried with it the smell of the sea. The warm sun shone into her snug nest of bedding.

She drowsily wondered how the smell of the sea got as far as her bedroom in Hampste… Wait… Sea? Sun? Warm? In _March..._  In _London_?… _The hell?_ … She pushed herself into a sitting position and rubbed her hands over her face in confusion. Was she still dreaming?

Opening her eyes, she peeked through her fingers and was met with the view of a spacious bedroom, decorated in various shades of white, with details in a faded sea blue colour. It was all very nicely done and almost screamed _‘understated, but very expensive decorations done by hired, ridiculously expensive, interior designer’_.

With a deep breath she tried to calm her fast beating heart, the stress of not knowing where she was was steadily increasing its speed. Then she slowly was starting to remember the night before. After the airport, she had fallen asleep in the car, only to be awakened by Tom when they had reached the entrance to Bob’s estate. She remembered going through a high, electronic gate and then driving down a longish driveway, up to a brightly lit house. Then Bob had taken her and Tom to a smaller house close to the main house, also brightly lit, declaring that this was the guesthouse and all but ordered them to make themselves at home. 

She remembered leaving Tom and Bob on the porch and going up the stairs, finding two bedrooms and a bathroom; all located under the roof, which had sloping ceilings and dormer windows. It was very rustic.

After choosing one of the bedrooms, which were identical, she went downstairs to get her backpack and trolley suitcase. Just before she had started hauling them up the stairs, Tom had emerged from the downstairs bathroom and when he saw her going up the stairs with her luggage, he’d insisted on carrying her trolley upstairs for her. She’d been too tired to argue with him and had accepted his help. 

At the door to ‘her’ bedroom, she’d turned around and thanked him for his help, accepting the trolley back from him. She’d explained that she was going back to sleep and that she would see him in the morning, when she was properly rested.

He’d smiled down at her and asked if her could give her a goodnight kiss, to which she acquiesced. It had been short, and sweet, and soft, and lovely, and he’d wished her a good night and sweet dreams. She’d smiled and reciprocated, and had then gently closed the door between them.

After that, things became a bit hazy. She remembered quickly brushing her teeth and then going back to her room and divesting almost all her clothes on her way to the bed, opting to crawl into bed with only her knickers on and not to dig through her suitcase for a t-shirt to sleep in.

As soon as she was under the duvet and her head had hit the pillow, she was out like a light.

Which reminded her, had she even had the time to turn off her bedside light before she fell unconscious? She really couldn’t remember. And was she the one who had opened the window? She had absolutely no idea. 

Maybe Tom had seen the light on underneath her door when he went to bed and decided to turn it off for her? And open the window? She’d ask him later. Check if she wasn’t going bonkers. 

Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she checked her phone for the time. Almost seven in the morning. Wow, She’d slept for almost eleven hours straight. No wonder she felt so refreshed. Hopefully it was enough to battle the jet lag she was sure was going to show its ugly face later in the day. She’d never experienced it herself, but she’d read enough about it that she had planned a day off in between arriving in LA and starting her negotiations with the production company. Hm. That was something that was up for revisal right now. She was completely done with them and she hoped that Bob’s legal team had come up with enough evidence of wrongdoing against her, that she could have a clean break from that train-wreck of an undertaking.

As she considered how Bob had stayed true to his promises until now, she didn’t doubt that her painless break from the production company would be exactly that. Painless and clean. If only there wasn’t that smidgen of discomfort and anxiety that niggled at the back of her brain. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but it was there and she suspected it wouldn’t leave her alone until everything was as it should be, legally.

Ah, well, nothing to be done about that right now. She stretched again and stood up, determined to enjoy this lovely day. The air was still quite cool, but the sun was out in full force and the sky was blue, so she opted for choosing a loose, creamy off-white maxi dress to wear. It had a v-shaped neck and spaghetti straps and consisted of a thin, almost sheer, layer of stretchy cotton and an overlay of very delicate cotton lace. The layering of the two different cloths, made that the dress wasn’t see-through. She chose a soft, cropped, blush pink cardigan to wear over it until the temperature was high enough to shed the layer. 

After picking out clean knickers and a strapless nude bra and grabbing her toiletry bag, she gathered everything, except the cardigan, into her arms, clutching the items close to her very naked chest and made her way to the door, listening for any sounds that indicated that Tom was already up, but she heard nothing.

Deciding to take the risk of darting from her room to the bathroom in nothing but her knickers, she opened the door and quickly strode the five paces to the bathroom, which consisted of a toilet, a washbasin and a shower with overhead rain shower and a second, separate shower head. She deposited her clothes on top of a reed hamper and closed the door, locking it securely.

Making quick work of her shower, she washed her hair, rinsed, lathered up her body, grateful that she’d waxed before flying off to LA, so she wouldn’t have to shave anything for at least a few days, and then rinsed again. Turning off the shower, she dried off and moisturised after wrapping a second towel around her head to keep her wet hair from dripping all over the place.

Today was a casual day, with boho style clothing, so she towel dried her hair, allowing it to air dry in loose waves, silently thanking the dry air in LA for not turning her hair into a riot of frizzy curls, like the moist London air had done.

Using a very light foundation, with sun block, on her face and neck and dabbing a bit of bronzer in strategic places on her face, she made her appearance look a bit more sun kissed than she’d been when she’d woken up. She paired this look with a pale pink, shimmery eyeshadow and dark purple eyeliner, which she smudged out slightly, and a bit of black mascara on her lashes; giving her the hippie look she was going for. She added a few shimmering highlights on her cheekbones and on the bridge of her nose and then she was finished. As good as it was going to get for the day. She stuck her tongue out at herself, in the mirror, and snickered.

She put on her underwear and then her dress and picked up all of her toiletries after hanging out the two towels she used, on the towel-rack to dry.

It was still very quiet in the house when she opened the bathroom door and went back into her bedroom. Apparently, Tom had been even more tired than she was.

When she put down her toiletries, she remembered she packed a few long, beaded necklaces and a few beaded bracelets to go with the beach-like outfit she was wearing now, and she dug up the small jewellery bag from her trolley. She looped one of the necklaces, consisting of turquoise beads, around her neck twice and put on two bracelets of the same colour. Then she slipped on her baby-pink cardigan and stepped into the white flip-flops she’d liberated from her backpack the night before, and decided to go downstairs to see if she could make herself some coffee and maybe find fruit or crackers for breakfast.

Grabbing her phone from the nightstand at the last moment, she was out the door and down the stairs within seconds. Ready to explore her new surroundings.

She found a fully functional and stocked kitchen. Bob didn’t do anything halfway, did he? Grabbing a mug when the coffee was ready and nibbling on a cracker with Nutella, she made her way to the small porch that sat at the front of the house. There was a two person swing-seat attached to the porch-beams and she sat down to enjoy her breakfast outside, enjoying the lovely spring weather, which suspiciously felt like an English summer morning at its warmest. Soon, she wouldn’t even need her cardigan anymore. She wondered if it would be possible to go to the beach today, or if Bob needed her for legal business. Concluding that train of thought, she decided to ask him as soon as possible, and if she wasn’t needed, she’d be off to the beach for the day.

When she finished her breakfast, she brought the mug back to the kitchen, rinsing it and putting it in the sink. She’d take care of that later.

First things first. Time to explore the estate. It had been too dark last night to see anything outside the illumination of the houses. She had to admit she was pretty curious.

Closing the door behind her, she made her way down the part of the driveway that belonged to the guesthouse and walked up to the big house. It looked like its occupants were still in deep slumber, until she heard a faint splashing sound coming from the right side of the house. 

She followed the sounds and when she rounded the corner of the house, she spotted a swimming pool about ten meters away.

When she approached, a tall, broad shouldered man had apparently just finished his last lap of swimming, because he stood straight and waded through the water and climbed up the swimming pool stairs, water sluicing off of him, following the contours of his defined back muscles. He raked his hands through his dark blond hair, which was even darker now that it was wet, to stop it from sticking flat to his head. _Holy ripped god of lean muscles_ … Was that… 

‘Tom!’ She waved at him when he turned around to pick up a towel from one of the lounge chairs that were positioned around the pool. Her voice sounded a bit hoarse and strange, especially to her own ears. She hoped he hadn’t noticed. 

He froze when he heard her, his eyes finding her figure, and stared for a moment, eyes traveling up and down her appearance, and up again. The sea breeze played with her hair and lightly pushed her flowing dress against her curves. Combined with Tom’s heated gaze, it felt like a strangely intimate moment.

Then he smiled and waved, breaking the spell.

‘Hey, Kat. Good morning, darling. Sleep well?’ He proceeded to dry his hair and face with the towel in his hand. And then dried his well defined pecs… and his six-pack abdomen, with the happy-trail into his swimmingtr… _Ooookaaay, Kat. that’s enough!_ She reprimanded herself, and looked away as she walked around the pool to where he was standing; her cheeks colouring a light pink.

Then she smiled up at him and nodded.

‘Very well, thank you.’ She replied, feeling chipper. ‘I thought you were still asleep when I got up. Looks like I was wrong. I hope you also slept well, in spite of being up even earlier than I am?’

Tossing the towel back onto the lounge chair, he chuckled.

‘Yes, I did, actually. I’ve just never really been someone to sleep in. And with the time difference, my inner clock had me up at the crack of dawn. So I decided to get an early morning workout in; I was up at around six. What time is it now, anyway?’

Kat shrugged, having left her phone on the porch swing -she now realised-, she had no idea of the exact time.

‘It’s between half seven and eight, I think. Maybe a bit later. I was up at seven, but I showered and had some coffee before coming out here.’

Tom slowly raised his hand, making sure she saw it coming and being as non-threatening as possible, and caressed her cheek. His hand was slightly cool from the water.

‘You look beautiful.’ He said quietly. ‘At first I thought I was seeing things when you seemed to appear out of nowhere. An apparition of loveliness.’ 

She had no idea how to react to the compliments and looked away shyly. She wasn’t used to someone being that eloquent about how lovely he thought she looked. Most of the time it were loud remarks that were half shouted by bar patrons who were too deep into their alcoholic haze to make much sense anyway. 

Kat bit her lip and blushed slightly, shyness taking over as she came up blank, when she tried to think up a response.

Tom’s eyes crinkled with amusement when he discovered her being lost for words and he bent forward, slowly bringing his face closer to hers as he cupped her cheek with his hand, giving her every chance to pull away before his lips found hers, gliding against her mouth with only a hint of pressure.

So gentle. She sighed and covered the hand cupping her cheek, with hers, caressing his fingers. 

The kiss ended before either one of them could deepen it, because someone cleared their throat behind Tom, followed by the light giggle of a child.

‘I think if you want to keep this a morning for all ages, you better stop now. There are children present at… present.’ Bob’s voice broke through the silence.

They quickly broke off the kiss, like a couple of teenagers who were doing something they weren’t supposed to. A nervous laugh escaped Kat as she turned around. There he was. Dressed in dark jeans and a white T-shirt with a washed out print; A few paper bags dangling from one hand, and a little girl with dark blond hair, sitting on his hip, held securely against him with the other hand.

He held up the bags.

‘I thought we could have a morning picnic today. I come bearing coffee and pastries.’

‘Nicnic, cawfeey n pacewees.’ The child echoed, very seriously. Suddenly she smiled and pointed at Kat. ‘Pwinsess.’ She declared. Then she caught sight of Tom. ‘Uncwe Tom! Uncwe Tom!’ She bounced up and down enthusiastically, causing Bob to let her slide gently to the ground, where she took off immediately; her chubby toddler legs carrying her to Tom in an impressive little amount of time. 

She held out her arms to Tom and made little grabby hands. 

‘Up! Uncwe Tom! Up!’ She demanded. 

Tom grinned at the little human, his expression fond.

‘Well, hello there, Avri. Did you help your dad with shopping?’ He asked as he picked up the little girl. She looked even smaller now that Tom had her on his arm.

‘I helped. Wiv Pacewees.’ she nodded vigorously, wrapping her small chubby arms around Tom’s neck and cuddling against him. ‘You have pwinsess?’ Her voice was curious as she looked down at Kat from her perch on Tom’s arm. ‘Small pwinsess.’ She declared like she wouldn’t tolerate any contradiction to the fact she had just stated. Tom barked out a laugh at her statement.

‘Yes, she is quite small, isn’t she?’ Kat threw him a peeved look and he winked at her.

She started grinning as she looked from the little girl to Bob and back.

‘Well, that must undoubtedly be your spawn, Downey.’ she laughed. She held out a hand to the little girl. ‘Hello, darling, my name is Kat, what is your name?’

The girl stared at her for a moment, seemingly stunned that the princess was talking to her, but then took her hand. 

‘Avewee.’ She said solemnly.

Bob groaned and sent them a grimace.

‘We didn’t really take into account that she first needed to learn to talk perfectly before she could pronounce her own name correctly.’ He chuckled and supplied the girl’s correct name to Kat. ‘Kat, this is Avri, my daughter, and the hell-spawn who wakes me up at six every morning, with no exceptions.’ 

Kat shook Avri’s hand with a wide smile on her face.

‘It’s great to meet you, Avri.’

Avri let go of Tom and reached out to Kat with her tiny hands.

‘Pwinsess.’ She said and leaned towards Kat, clearly wanting to be held by the ‘princess’.

Unsure of what to do, as she wasn’t really used to children, she looked to Bob for help.

‘Go ahead.’ Bob said with a small wave between Kat and his daughter. ‘It has been decided that you will hold her now. You’ve been approved by Avri.’ 

Carefully, she took the little girl from Tom and held her a bit awkwardly in her arms. Avri didn’t care, though, she wrapped her arms around Kat’s neck and hugged her with more strength than Kat would’ve thought such a little girl possessed.

‘Um, Avri, that’s a bit too tight.’ She croaked jokingly, pretending the toddler was strangling her.

Bob put the bags down on one of the low tables next to a lounge chair. He stepped up to Kat and untangled his daughter. Or tried to, at least. It seemed like the girl was an octopus with eight arms instead of a toddler with only two.

‘Come on Avri, time to let Kat go, honey.’ 

‘Noooo, pwinsess!’ The wail that came from her throat was like the cry of a banshee. Or what Kat imagined the cry of a banshee sounded like. She scrunched up her face in pain and turned her head sideways to get her right ear -which was now operating with an audible beeeeeep in the background- away from the girl’s mouth.

Finally, Bob had unwrapped Kat from the tentacles of his hell-spawn and held the wriggling and screaming toddler up and away from him with stretched arms, clearly a bit out of his depth. He looked hopefully towards Tom.

‘You have a niece, right?’ He asked.

Tom held up his hands in apology, the expression on his face a mix of helplessness and ‘oh-shit’.

‘Um, yeah, no, mate. I’m gonna go grab a shower now. See you in a bit.’ And with that, he was gone, but not before both Kat and Bob saw the sneaky, sly grin on his face as he turned around.

‘Sometimes that man is just a bit too much like his Marvel character.’ Bob grumbled, still holding his daughter like she was poisonous.

‘Marvel? As in the comic books?’ Kat asked curiously.

He nodded, having to talk loud to get over Avri’s protests.

‘Yup, they’ve made a whole film series based on those comics. Tom plays Loki, the trickster god from Asgard.’

‘Ah, yes, he told me about Loki when we were on the plane. Something about kicking arse and then getting his arse kicked.’ She nodded.

Bob chuckled.

‘yeah, that’s the gist of it.’

Suddenly a voice interrupted the toddler’s screaming.

‘I leave you alone with her for five minutes…’ 

Both Bob and Kat looked at the dark-haired woman who had come out of the house when she’d heard the racket outside.

Avri fell quiet immediately when she heard the voice. She turned towards the woman and pointed at Kat enthusiastically.

‘Mama! Look! Pwinsess! Pwinsess!’

The woman took the little girl from her father and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

‘I don’t think she’s a real princess, honey.’

Avri almost violently shook her head.

‘No! Pwinsess!’

The woman transferred Avri from her right hip to her left and then offered Kat her right hand, smiling warmly.

‘Hello, I’m Susan, Bob’s wife, and mother of this small siren with a large volume.’ 

Kat took the hand and shook it, noticing that she and Susan were almost the same height. Susan had maybe an inch on her, but still, almost the same height.

‘Nice to meet you. I’m Kat. I thought I was a writer, but I’ve just been bumped up to princess, or so it seems.’

Susan’s smile widened when she heard the humour in Kat’s voice.

‘Such things happen from time to time.’ She agreed. Then she turned her attention to her husband. ‘Did you get everything I asked for?’

Bob pointed to the bags.

‘And then some. I think I have enough for three days. Maybe we need to invite a few more people to help us eat it all.’ He rubbed his chin in thought. ‘I think Evans and Stan are in town. Maybe they’d like to come. And afterwards we could go to the beach. Or stay here and hang by the pool. Play some volleyball.’ It sounded like he really liked the idea.

Susan shrugged and nodded.

‘Yeah, sure. Might be fun.’ 

‘Oh, can we go to the beach? It’s been years since I’ve been to the beach.’ Kat was almost vibrating with enthusiasm at the thought of going to the beach all day. Sun, swimming, some ball games, cool drinks and snacks. It sounded heavenly. ‘Although, I didn’t bring a swimsuit.’ She added.

Bob looked at her with big eyes.

‘What do you mean? You haven’t been to the beach in _years_?! How’s that possible? The UK is an island, in the sea… You have loads of beaches…’ The incredulous tone in his voice made Kat chuckle in amusement.

‘Well, the last time I was on the beach, I was in Ibiza, on holiday with my brother. That’s about six years ago, this June. After that, I got too busy with my Phd’s and then writing the books and working at the pub. It’s hard, going to the seaside for a day if you don’t have a car, and live in London. By the time you’ve made it to the sea, it’s almost time to return home. It just wasn’t worth the hassle, I guess.’

Bob clapped his hands.

‘That decides it. Susan, we’re going to the beach today.’ 

‘Alright. While we wait for Tom, you can try and reach Evans and Stan, I’ll see if I can find the cooler and fill it with drinks and some snacks.’ Susan agreed. ‘I think I have a few swimsuits laying around, Kat. You’re welcome to borrow one of mine.’ 

Kat nodded gratefully.

‘Thank you.’

Susan kissed her daughter on the cheek.

‘How about it, munchkin? You want to go to the beach today?’ She asked Avri.

Avri frowned as she thought.

‘Wiv pwinsess?’

‘Yes, Kat is coming too.’

‘Daddy?’

‘Yes, and daddy. And uncle Tom, if he’s so inclined. And maybe uncle Chris and Uncle Seb if they have time. And me and Exton.’

The toddler nodded enthusiastically.

‘Beach!’ She exclaimed.

‘Okay. Looks like we’re going to the beach today. I better start getting the kid’s toys and snacks ready.’ Susan smiled. ‘Very nice to meet you, Kat. I look forward to talking business with you later.’ 

Kat smiled. Apparently these Americans liked to mix business with their downtime.

‘Me too, Susan.’

As Susan made her way back into the house, Bob pulled out his phone and started typing away.

Kat sat down on one of the chairs and enjoyed the morning sunlight. It had been a long, cold and wet winter in London, and being in LA with its lovely weather really did wonders for her mood. She basked in the warmth and the light, closing her eyes and turning her face towards the sun.

Suddenly she heard the click of a phone camera snapping a picture. Her eyes opened and her gaze flew to Bob, who was lowering his phone and started typing again.

‘What are you doing?’ She asked, curious why he’d taken her picture.

He snickered.

‘Giving the boys a bit of incentive to come over.’ He winked at her, dark eyes twinkling warmly.

She stood up and walked to him to peer past his arm. He sent the picture he'd just taken of her, with the remark, ‘ _Breakfast at my house, and to the beach, after. Found a fairy in my garden this morning. Better hurry, before Reindeer Games snaps her up._ ’, to two people respectively called ‘Capsicle’ and ‘Frosty’.

Kat frowned, what strange names. 

‘Reindeer Games, Capsicle and Frosty?’ Her tone was almost incredulous.

Bob raised an eyebrow at her, smirking.

‘Yes, KittyKatie. And what kind of name is FakeSherlock, hmm?’

She suddenly understood.

‘Ah, codenames. In case someone steals your phone or you lose it.’ 

He nodded. 

‘Can’t be too careful. Although I think if a Marvel fan finds my phone, they’re going to have a field day.’ He grinned at her confused expression. ‘Hon, we need to get you up to date on the biggest film franchise of this decade. We’re going to have a movie marathon in the coming week.’

‘Um, okay, I guess.’

Bob’s gaze went to something behind her.

‘Speaking of Reindeer Games. Hey Tom, wanna go to the beach after breakfast?’

Kat turned around and there he was. Dressed in dark grey board shorts, which he somehow made look dressy, and a light grey t-shirt, sunglasses hooked into the v-neck and a pair of slip-on black VANS on his feet. She was once again hit by a flutter of butterflies in her stomach when she took in his handsome appearance. How could one person have such a magnetic pull on her? She pressed a hand to her tummy to quiet the giddy nerves that bounced around in there.

He had his hands in his pockets as he sauntered toward them, a small, delighted smile on his face as he looked first at Kat and then at Bob.

‘Sure, haven’t been in a while. Suze and the kids coming, too?’ Taking one of his hands out of his pocket, he handed Kat’s phone back to her. ‘I found this on the porch and figured you’d want it back.’ His warm fingers stealthily caressed hers as she took the phone from him, mumbling a soft ‘thank you’ and smiling shyly as she tucked the phone under the strap of her bra so she wouldn’t lose it.

Fuck, and she was back to being shy around him. Why couldn’t she just stay in one mindset all the time? She hadn’t been shy with him last night, so why was she now? 

It probably was due to the new environment she was in. Whenever she was in a new situation, she pulled back into herself and got a bit distant until she was more sure of herself and of the people around her. It was a survival technique from when she was a child and being carted around from one foster home to another. 

She was pulled from her inner monologue by a loud ping, coming from Bob’s phone.

Bob unlocked the screen and read the text he’d just gotten. He laughed.

‘Looks like you’re going to have your Avenger baptism of fire today. Turns out Evans and Stan aren’t the only ones in LA. They’re with Ruffalo and his brood. Have already had breakfast, but are on their way here, to check out the fairy and have some beach time with all of us. Ruffalo, Sunny and the kids are coming too. Ooh, this is gonna be such a fun day!’ He sounded giddy as he did a little wiggle dance.

Kat snickered at his obvious happiness about seeing his friends.

Tom shook his head at Bob’s antics, half amused and half worried.

‘So, that’s going to be quite a big group of famous people on the beach, are you sure we won’t garner too much attention like that? I don’t want a repeat of last night. Especially not where Kat is involved. She had trouble keeping it all together as it was.’ He frowned at the memory and Kat shivered when she remembered the night before. He was right, that hadn’t been pretty. She definitely didn’t want a repeat of that and she was thankful that he was now a bit more hesitant about exposing her to the media side of his life.

She sat back down on the chair she’d been occupying earlier and sighed deeply.

‘You mean a day on the beach can turn into that?’ She felt a bit discouraged when she thought about the day ahead.

Bob crouched in front of her, placing a comforting hand on her knee.

‘Don’t worry, hon. I’ve got it covered. We’re bringing part of the security team that helped you last night. They will be keeping an eye out for trouble and the moment things go south, we’re going back to the cars and we’ll come back here to party at the poolside. Okay?’

‘Okay.’ She nodded without much conviction, and her voice sounded a bit shaky to her own ears if she was honest with herself. Last night, the airport had been a bit of a shock after the quiet but eventful plane ride they’d had. Tom didn’t look so sure about going to the beach anymore, either, but kept quiet. Kat hoped that it was because he trusted Bob's judgment on the matter. The man had been in the spotlight of the media for almost his entire life and must know how to handle situations like these.

Bob smiled at her and then turned to the bag with their breakfast, fishing out different kinds of pastries and handing them to Tom and Kat.

‘Great, that’s settled, then. Now, how about some breakfast? I’m starving.’


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some walking, some canoodling, you know, the usual. ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing.
> 
> I make no money from this.
> 
> This is my Sandbox.

**Chapter 15**

 

Breakfast was great. Kat didn’t know where Bob had gotten the pastries, but she was sure they were worth every penny he spent on them. The coffee wasn’t too bad either, for that matter. Strong, and tasteful, and creamy in just the right way.

After she’d eaten two pastries and drank all of the coffee she’d been offered, she was feeling awake and giddy from the caffeine and sugar rush.

Tom smiled at her happy and content expression, as she leaned back against the backrest of the lounge chair with a satisfied sigh. She rested her head back and enjoyed the warmth of the sun as she lazily smiled back, gazing at him from under the long, black lashes that surrounded her light eyes. Subconsciously she wetted her lips and his gaze shot to her full lips, eyes darkening.

_Oh, shite._ She was in trouble. So much trouble. His darkened gaze eliciting a tingle along her spine.

He polished off his pastry and gulped down the last of his coffee before standing up and holding a hand out to her.

‘Care to join me for a quiet walk, before we’re overrun by the Marvel horde?’ 

Tilting her head, she considered his proposal. It’d be nice to see a bit more of the land surrounding the house, enjoy the sea air and the sun. Nodding, she took his hand and let him pull her up.

‘Alright. Lead the way.’ She gave Bob an apologetic smile. ‘Do you mind?’

Bob chuckled as he waved them on.

‘You youngsters go right ahead and “take a look around the grounds”.’ He air quoted the last words, with a wink. ‘Keep in mind to keep it PG around here. My five-year-old rides his bike all over the terrain and likes to stick his nose in other people’s business. Just like his dad. Don’t want to explain to him why uncle Tom was playing hide the pickle with the beautiful lady.’

Tom went beet red and Kat burst out laughing at his expression. She patted Bob on the shoulder in amusement.

‘Stop teasing the poor man, Bob. And don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on uncle Tom. Make sure he doesn’t bother any pretty ladies with his pickle.’

It was Bob’s turn to burst out laughing.

‘Oh, I knew I liked you, KittyKatie! You’re gonna fit right in in this weird and dysfunctional little family we’ve built over the years.’ He smiled widely at the couple. ‘Don’t lose this lovely girl, Tom. She’s one of the good ones. A keeper.’ Looking hard at Tom, he inclined his head to the man, suddenly serious.

Kat looked at Tom and saw that he smiled, but also nodded with a determined expression in his eyes. It seemed like a whole conversation was being held between the two men and she wasn’t privy to the details. It looked pretty serious. She raised her eyebrows in surprise. What was that all about?

Then, Bob smiled serenely, and gathered up the leftovers of breakfast.

‘You go explore. I’ll bring this inside and help Susan with getting everything ready for the beach.’

After that, Tom nodded at the older man and pulled her with him, away from Bob, and onto a narrow tarmac path, which ran from the back of the house, past a few trees, to a paddock, where two horses were grazing, and beyond, through a hedge. 

When they were out of the view of the house, Tom let go of her hand and put an arm around her shoulders.

‘Is this okay?’ He asked.

Kat nodded, and put her arm around his waist, her fingers landing on his hip, accidentally squeezing the muscles there. An involuntary shiver went through him at that almost intimate touch, and he bent toward her, placing a kiss on her hair.

‘It might be a good idea not to do that too often, today, darling. Or Bob is going to be quite put out with us for not keeping it PG on his property.’ The tone of his voice was deep and rough. A flash of heat shot down her spine and pooled in her lower abdomen, when she felt the vibrations of his almost growl pass from his body to hers. He straightened up to his full height again and led her further down the path. ‘Do you have any idea how incredibly lovely you are?’ He said softly as he gazed down at her while they strolled.

She looked up, surprised at his admission, and shook her head, lost for words and feeling quite overwhelmed by his earnestness.

‘It’s like Bob said. He saw it in you, almost immediately, when he met you last week. You’re one of the good ones. It’s very hard in our profession, and on our level of fame, to find someone who is as down to earth and genuine as you are. Someone who doesn’t give a flying fuck about my accomplishments, or my fame, or my money, and who really sees me as I am, as just Tom, and not as the larger than life public figure that has been crafted around me by my PR team.

‘Lately, I never know if a woman likes me for me, or if she’s after my money, after fame by association, or after a leg up in the industry, just wanting me for my influence. I’ve had a lot of crash-and-burns in the past few years, and I was getting so incredibly disheartened by each and every experience I had, that meeting you…’ He paused, searching for words. ‘Well, let’s say, I have a hard time believing you’re really real, and that you’re really here, and that you’re not some figment of my imagination. I constantly fear that I'll wake up, realise it was all a dream and that you will be gone. 

'I know that that must come over as unbelievably intense after knowing each other for less than a week, hell, we’ve been together for less than twenty-four hours, and I won’t blame you if you want to take a step back to reevaluate… whatever this between us is…’ He trailed off, visibly shaken by his own acknowledgement of their unusual situation. 

His head was tilted down, his eyes gazing down at the ground, and he was having trouble looking her in the eye as he waited for her rejection.

She had to admit, it was quite fast, all this talk about a relationship so early in their acquaintance, but if there was one thing that Kat knew, it was that life was fickle. And that meant that you held on to the good things in your life, enjoyed them for as long as life let you keep them and you didn’t question the how, or the why, or the when, or the how long. You just grabbed on to them and didn’t let go until you were forced to let go. It was something she’d learned very early on in her life and it was a lesson that she hadn’t forgotten.

Kat caressed Tom’s cheek with her hand and he tilted his chin up, so he could look her in the eye.

‘Tom, it doesn’t matter how long we’ve know each other. There is no timeframe for this. No matter how many people there are who want you to believe otherwise. This is between you and I, and fuck what the rest of them think. 

What I know, is that I feel this inexplicable connection between us and it’s something that’s scary, but it’s also something to cherish, because this…’ She gestured between them with her other hand, before laying it over his heart. ‘This feeling of rightness between us, the feeling of belonging, right from the start, it’s rare. So very rare. And I don’t want to say no to that, just because it might seem to go fast for the outside world. We are the ones who decide at which pace to progress, not them. And if you’re comfortable with this pace, and I’m comfortable with this pace, then there’s nothing wrong with how fast we’re going. We’re living in the here and now and that’s all that matters.’ 

Tom let out a shuddering breath.

‘How are you so wise?’ He wondered, looking at her like she’d just rocked his world with her words.

Kat scoffed softly at his wording.

‘I’m not wise. I’ve just seen too much crap in this world to not recognise the good that stands before me. And to not go for it, to not go for this, for us… Now, that would be madness.’ She smiled and stood on her tippy toes to press a soft kiss to his lips. 

Tom made a protesting sound when she pulled back again, and wrapped his arms around her, bending his head to capture her lips once more. This time it wasn’t just a quick peck. He laid all his passion and emotion into the kiss and it left her breathless, her heart hammering in her chest from excitement. She kissed him back with equal enthusiasm and when his tongue softly licked the seam of her lips, she granted him access, without any hesitation. 

As he deepened the kiss, his tongue caressing hers with languid strokes, he let his hands slide down over her back to her hips and then over the swell of her bum. Kat moaned into his mouth when he kneaded gently, pulling up the skirt of her dress in the process. Suddenly he crouched a bit, bending his knees, and the grip on her bum tightened as he effortlessly lifted her up against him. She instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, all without breaking the kiss.

The hands on her bum pressed her hips into his and she gasped against his mouth when, with a flexing of his hips, he pushed the hard ridge of his cock up against her heat, glancing over her clit in the process. An answering groan left his throat when he flexed his hips again.

Kat couldn’t keep in a soft moan as she broke the kiss, panting against his lips and tightening her bare legs around his hips.

‘Tom.’ she whispered, out of breath. ‘What about keeping it PG?’

He growled and mumbled and expletive before answering her.

‘Fuck PG.’ He ground his erection into her as one of his hands caressed the naked thigh that was firmly pressed against his waist.

‘What’s, _fuck_?’ A high pitched voice asked behind them.

Tom froze and his eyes grew wide as he looked at Kat. ‘Shit.’ He mouthed at her. 

Kat couldn’t stop a giggle at seeing his mortification and felt a blush creeping up her cheeks.

‘You think Bob sent him over on purpose?’ She whispered, hiding her face in Tom’s neck in embarrassment. Tom grumbled irritatedly in response. 

‘Are you the princess?’ The child’s voice asked. ‘Uncle Tom? Is she the princess? Why are you carrying her? Can’t she walk?’

Tom cleared his throat and Kat felt that he tried to relax. It took him a lot of effort, but finally he was enough in control of his body that he could loosen his grip on her legs and gently lower her down. Supporting her to help her stand on her own again. Her legs were a bit wobbly and she was pretty sure her knickers were soaked from Tom’s ministrations. She smoothed down her dress and turned towards the little boy.

Then she heard shouts and laughter coming from the direction of the house. It sounded like the other guests had arrived.

Kat looked at the little dark-haired boy, who couldn’t be more than five years old, and who was sitting on a red bike that was adorned with training wheels.

‘Did your dad send you to find us?’ She asked.

The boy nodded.

‘Uncle Chris and uncle Seb and uncle Mark and auntie Sunny are here. And Keen and Bella and Odette. They’re nice.’

Kat smiled sweetly at him.

‘Go tell your dad that we’re on our way, okay?’

The boy grinned, suddenly the spitting image of his father.

‘Okay!’ He exclaimed, and turned his bike back to the house, sprinting off to greet the guests.

Tom groaned as soon as the boy was off.

‘Bob is an arse.’ He growled darkly, the glimmer of humour in his eyes belying the tone of his voice.

Kat snickered when she saw him adjust the crotch of his shorts, trying to relieve the pressure on his groin.

‘Yes, he certainly is. But I've heard he grows on you.’ She raised an eyebrow at Tom, humour in her voice. Then she shifted her legs together, squirming a bit. A frustrated sigh escaped her. ‘I don’t think I brought enough clean knickers. If this is going to be a recurring theme in the coming days, I’ll need a few more knickers…’ 

Tom barked out a laugh at her sudden and crude remark.

‘You could always go without?’ He offered with a roguish smile. ‘I wouldn’t mind.' Wiggling his eyebrows, he let his hand caress the swell of her bum.

She slapped his chest in retaliation.

‘Oh my god, how is it possible that everyone thinks that you’re a proper English gentleman? You’re positively wicked.’ Shaking her head at him, she wondered if she'd ever saw such a smug expression on a man's face.

He rubbed the ‘sore’ spot on his chest and then his grin turned wicked indeed.

‘That’s a carefully crafted public persona, darling. I can tell you, my publicist, Luke, is worth every single penny I pay him.’ He winked and kissed her nose before tapping her lightly on her bum. ‘Now, let’s go see who’s making so much noise at the house, shall we?’

Kat swatted his hand away and sashayed to the opening in the hedge they’d passed through not ten minutes ago. She heard Tom chuckle at her antics and catch up with her, proceeding to then come to walk next to her, draping an arm over her shoulders. She wrapped her arm around his waist again and they made their way back to the house.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the beach.
> 
> \-----------
> 
> Warning: Triggers (references to drug use, physical abuse & self harm)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing but my OCs and this storyline.
> 
> I make no money from this story.
> 
> This is my Marvel RPF Sandbox. 
> 
> All hail Marvel and their magical casting directors. 
> 
> :)

**Chapter 16**

 

Kat helped Susan with carrying a load of fleece blankets and towels to the spot they’d chosen on the beach, as Susan had her hands full with a diaper bag, her toddler and her five-year-old. Sunny was carrying a large parasol and a bag with beach toys. The men carried a couple of coolers and bags with snacks between them, while the older children were running out in front of them, towards the sea. The group of celebrities was flanked by two bodyguards who were decked out in beach shorts and t-shirts. It was quite the parade that made its way down the beach.

After meeting Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan, and Mark Ruffalo and his family, Kat had been ushered into the house by Susan, who had a couple of bikini’s laid out for her to choose from. After a quick look, she’d chosen the least revealing one. It had been a long time since she’d been this naked in front of other people and it made her a bit hesitant to reveal so much skin. She was feeling quite shy about it.

She’d gone to the bathroom and changed into the turquoise number, consisting of a strapless padded top with -thankfully- enough support for her sizeable chest and a cute boy-short bottom, donning her dress and cardigan back over it. She’d taken her underwear and her phone, which she had nowhere to stow anymore, with her and had made a quick run over to the guest house to leave them in her room. 

By the time she’d arrived back at the main house, everyone was ready to go and she’d been pushed towards one of the cars by Susan. She'd sat down in the front seat, next to a happily grinning Sebastian. She’d smiled back shyly, wondering where Tom was hiding, but then the door behind her had opened and Tom slid into the backseat. Sebastian’s smile had fallen a bit when he met Tom’s eyes in the mirror, Kat noticed. Had the man been hoping to get her all to himself on the drive to the beach? She snickered softly to herself and shook her head at his cocky behaviour. Then Sebastian had started the car and then they were off.

Which brought them here, building their temporary camp on the beach. The children had taken off the clothes they’d been wearing over of their swimsuits, leaving them on a pile on the sand, together with the flip-flops they’d been wearing, and they were by now splashing around in the surf.

Sunny had set up the parasol and was now helping Kat to lay out the blankets so people could sit without getting sand everywhere. When that was finished, she started to fold the kids’ clothes and put them in a bag, mumbling something about messy offspring.

The two bodyguards sat down at a respectful distance of their group and talked amongst themselves while keeping an eye out for trouble.

The other five men had plopped down the coolers in the shade of the parasol and were now taking off their clothing until they were dressed in nothing but their swimming shorts. 

Kat couldn’t help but stare, her eyes wide.

‘ _Holy Fuck.’_ She whispered under her breath and swallowed thickly. Now that was something you didn’t see every day.

Sunny looked up from where she was rearranging the blankets and followed her gaze to the men. She chuckled. 

‘Yeah, they tend to have that effect on people. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it… Eventually. Give it a few years… Or decades…’ She snickered, quietly, so only Kat could hear her.

Kat’s gaze shot from the men to Sunny, her cheeks blushing red at being caught ogling not just the seriously ripped thirty-something bachelors, but also the two older men -of which one was Sunny’s husband- whose age had done nothing to diminish their fit physiques.

‘I… Um… I…’ _Oh shit…_ Taking a deep, calming breath, she swallowed again, trying to keep her sudden nervousness at bay.

Susan came to stand with the two women and looked from Sunny’s highly amused expression to Kat’s mortified one. She raised an eyebrow.

‘What’s going on?’

Sunny wiggled her eyebrows at Susan, flashing her a grin.

‘Our new friend here has just been baptised by fire, Avengers style. And she’s been rendered speechless and has gotten mighty flustered.’ She nodded at the group of men who were setting up a beach volleyball court, muscles flexing and bulging under flawless, tanned skin, as they tried to get the poles to which the net was attached into the ground.

Susan turned around and looked at the scene, the corners of her mouth tilting upwards.

‘Ah.’ She said, almost distractedly. ‘Yes, they’re all mighty fine, aren’t they.’ Then she winked at Kat. ‘Two of them are look-but-don’t-touch, but the rest of em, well… go for it, girl!’

Sunny let out a giggle as Kat blushed even more. Did they really have to be this forward with her? She’d only just met them for chrissakes.

‘I, um, I’m with Tom. I’m not… going to go for… _it_ , with any of the others…’ She stammered, a bit peeved, feeling quite off-kilter by the women’s casual teasing; crazy women giving their blessing for her sleeping around.

Susan took pity on her and smiled warmly.

‘Of course you’re not. We were just yanking your chain, hon. You’re not the first to be blown away by those men’s physiques, and you won’t be the last, I’m sure.’ She sat down and pulled Avri into her lap, giving the little girl a leak-free toddler cup to drink from. 

Kat couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d just passed an important test. The two women had shared a look she hadn’t been able to read, but it seemed like they were satisfied by her reserved attitude towards the men.

When both women started to undress and revealed their bikinis, Kat swallowed thickly. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to parade around in a bikini.

‘What’s wrong, hon?’ Susan asked when she saw Kat’s expression and her hesitance.

Kat shrugged apologetically.

‘I, uh, I have scars.’ She licked her lips nervously while she fidgeted with the hem of her cardigan.

Sunny chuckled, sounding carefree.

‘Oh, darling, don’t we all.’ She indicated two large scars on her lower abdomen, her tummy a bit wrinkled where she had some excess skin. ‘Three pregnancies and two c-sections.’

Susan nodded and turned to the right a bit, showing Kat a scar on her side; it was long and quite jagged. 

‘Biking accident. Ran into a tree. The tree won.’ She clarified, then patted her slightly pouchy tummy that was lined with faded stretchmarks. ‘And two pregnancies… As you can see, no perfect bodies here.’

Letting out a shuddering breath, Kat decided that maybe it was time to not only go out into the world more, but also to allow herself and her body to be in public spaces and not be ashamed of herself and the way she looked. She took off her cardigan, keeping her back to the group of men, who were now playing a game of beach volley. She bit her lip when the scars on her arms became visible.

‘I… I was a junkie, up until twelve years ago.’ She said when she heard Sunny suck in a shocked breath, rubbing the scars on the insides of her elbows and lower arms nervously.

‘Oh, hon.’ Susan looked up at her with the sad eyes of someone who had seen it all up close, with the man she loved. 

Kat pulled up the dress that hid the rest of her scars and took it off.

‘And I was abused as a child and teenager.’ She said as explanation for the multiple scars that littered her torso. Ugly, dark cigarette burns were scattered over her tummy and ribs, as well as a few scars, from beatings with a leather belt, that curled from her back, around her sides, to the front. Susan stared up at her with wide, horrified eyes as she took in the markers of her pain.

Kat heard Sunny make a strangled sound and when she looked at her, the mother of three was looking between her and her own happy, carefree children, who were playing in the surf, with tears in her eyes.

‘Um, the scars on my legs.’ She waved with a trembling hand toward the thin scars that were scattered in criss cross patterns on the insides of her thighs. ‘I made them myself. I cut myself before I transferred to drugs.’

Feeling slightly embarrassed under the women’s shocked gazes, she wrapped her arms around her tummy to shield herself from their scrutiny. Maybe it hadn’t been a good idea to come to the beach. Being out in the open like this, with her scars on display, made her feel so very vulnerable.

‘So, um… Yeah.’ Her voice wavered with uncertainty when both women seemed to stay in their shock and said nothing. She was afraid of their reactions. Would they judge her harshly and want to keep her away from their husbands and their children? She didn’t know if she could handle another rejection.

Susan was the first to shake off her shock and transferred a now sleeping Avri from her lap to the blanket and stood up. She stepped up to Kat and enveloped her in a tight hug. Kat stiffened for a second, but then forced herself to relax. _Not a threat._

‘I am so sorry this happened to you.’ Susan said with a hoarse voice. ‘Are you okay now; is your life okay?’ 

Kat nodded as she stepped out of the embrace, gently untangling herself from Susan’s arms. She may not be a threat, but it was still difficult for her to stay within an embrace for longer than a few seconds.

‘I’m getting there.’ She gave Susan a watery smile. ‘After years and years of therapy and support from my foster brother, I’ve been able to move on, and have a somewhat normal life. I still have anxiety attacks every now and then, but that’s getting better, too. I don’t react as violently fearful to unexpected touch as I used to. At least, not from women… Or Tom.’ She added, hearing the awed sound in her own voice at that unexpected development.

Susan hummed to indicate she understood what Kat was saying and then sent her a speculative smile, a teasing expression on her face.

‘Not from Tom, hm?’ She raised an eyebrow and Kat chuckled, glad that the woman had seen her need to move on from the subject, and that she was trying to weave a bit of naughty humour into their conversation.

Suddenly, Sunny stood up and moved closer to them.

‘Can I give you a hug too?’ She asked Kat in a quiet voice. Kat nodded and Sunny, who was a bit taller than Kat and Susan, hugged her fiercely. ‘I can’t imagine the horrors you must have lived through, but I am glad that you’re still here and I’m glad that we’ve met.’ There were tears in her voice as she heaved a shuddering sigh.

Hugging the woman back, Kat closed her eyes.

‘Me too, Sunny. And I’m grateful for your understanding and acceptance of my less than stellar past.’ She looked up at Susan, her eyes solemn. ‘From the both of you.’

Susan stepped closer and hugged both Sunny and Kat at once.

‘Ladies, I have a feeling this is the start of a beautiful friendship.’ She said humorously.

Kat laughed softly in spite of it being such an emotionally loaded moment. 

All three women wiped away stray tears as they untangled from each other and sat down next to a still sleeping Avri. Susan opened one of the coolers and took out three bottles of water, handing each of other two women a bottle. Kat opened hers and took a few large swigs from the lovely cool liquid.

Sunny looked her up and down again. This time a bit less emotional and more observant.

‘Your tattoos.’ She gestured to Kat’s right arm and torso. ‘Did you get them to cover up your scars?’

Kat tilted her head and contemplated her question before answering.

‘They’re not exactly meant as a cover-up. More as a way, and a need, to create something beautiful out of the ugliness that was my past. It’s about the small and powerless girl I was then, taking back ownership of her body.’ It was the best she could explain it and looking at the women, they understood what she meant.

Susan sighed wistfully.

‘That’s such a beautiful way of taking back control from the people who abused you.’

Sunny nodded and sniffed, still quite emotional from hearing Kat’s story. Or, at least, part of it.

‘Also, you’ve found a truly amazing tattoo artist.’ She said. ‘The phoenix on your back is exquisite. So detailed. The way its wings follow the shape of your torso, and how the tail feathers are flowing down your hip and bum and then wrap around the back of your thigh… It’s so well placed. And the colours are so vibrant. I love the unusual colour scheme, using different shades of blue and green and white instead of yellow and red for the flames.’ She leant forward. ‘Can you stand up so we can see the entire piece?’

‘Um, sure. I have to warn you, though, my back is pretty scarred under the ink and I’d rather you not touch it.’ Kat stood up and turned her back to the two women. She felt them come closer to study her back piece tattoo and her body involuntarily tensed.

‘Hey girls, you got a coke for this parched du… Wow, that’s hot!’

Kat looked over her shoulder and saw Chris Evans standing a few yards away, next to one of the coolers, having a simultaneously impressed and flabbergasted expression on his face as he took in the tattoo on her back. His gaze appreciatively roaming down over her bum.

She blushed and turned around, not comfortable to have the man at her back. This gave him a full view of the scars on her arms, tummy and thighs, though, and she saw his eyes widen.

‘Oh my God, happened to you?’ His voice betrayed his shock.

‘Life.’ Was Kat’s reply, the tone of her voice telling him to back off on asking any more questions.

‘I’m sorry.’ He said, visibly uneasy with the situation. His eyes kept drifting down to her scars.

’S okay, it was a long time ago. A different life.’ She hoped he’d let it go. And he did, thankfully.

‘Alright.’ Chris nodded, clearly feeling out of his depth, and took a step back, turning to the cooler to take out a couple of cokes and a few bottles of water. He took a swift, curious look at Kat again, before walking back to the makeshift beach volley court, throwing cans of coke and bottles of water to the other men, who caught them swiftly. 

Kat followed him with her eyes and saw him quietly say something to Tom, who had been in a conversation with Mark. Tom’s gaze immediately lifted to where she was standing, eyes appreciatively trailing over her bikini clad form. They darkened when he saw the scars on her abdomen and he frowned, answering Chris and handing him his water bottle, before making his way to her.

‘Uh oh, hotness incoming.’ Susan mumbled under her breath, again trying to diffuse the situation with humour. Sunny let out a snicker.

‘Look, but don’t touch.’ Kat shot back at her with a small smile, and Susan held up her bottle of water in a mock toast to Kat’s quick wittedness, grinning from ear to ear.

‘Touché.’ She said, and Kat chuckled at the wink the woman threw her way.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still on the beach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sandboxing, Sandboxing,  
> Sandbox all the way.  
> O what fun it is to write,  
> and not own a thing, oh nay.
> 
> Never mind me, I'm nuts...
> 
> I own my OCs and this storyline.  
> Make no money. Nope.
> 
> *jazzhands*

**Chapter 17**

 

Kat turned back to where Tom was walking towards them, and she had to admit that Susan had been right in her appreciation. He really was a sight to behold as he made his way over; sinew and muscle moving with an almost seductive grace under his skin, making her fingers itch with the need to touch him. It was a sensation which she wasn’t really familiar with. It had been many, many years since she’d felt this way about a person, if she had ever. She couldn’t really remember.

He bridged the last few steps with large strides and then he was standing before her, his eyes sad, and a stricken expression on his face. It was almost haunted, and as he looked her up and down, his eyes became a bit shiny. A shuddering breath escaped him and he seemed lost for words. In a bad way.

Kat felt the need to break the loaded silence. And she did so in her own humorous way.

‘Wow, I’ve never been able to stun a man into silence before. I must look fabulous in this bikini.’ She gave him a wink and struck a pose; hands on hips, crossing her legs, one in front of the other, and tilting her head, as if she was on the red carpet, about to be photographed by the press. ‘Can I keep this, Susan? It’s a grand success.’ She threw over her shoulder.

‘Um… Yeah… Definitely.’ came Susan’s hesitant response. 

This seemed to pull Tom out of his daze and he looked her in the eye; visibly unsure of how to respond. On the one hand there were the scars that had shocked him as much as they had shocked everyone else, and on the other there she was, joking around about the bikini she was wearing. He looked lost.

‘Well?’ Kat pushed; not wanting to have a sad, emotional scene right there on the beach, for everyone to see. She was feeling vulnerable enough in her bikini, without any of the emotional outbursts that she felt were about to unfold. She desperately wanted to defuse the powder keg like situation and did so by trying to distract and deflect.

If they were going to talk about it, and Kat knew that they were, she could see it in Tom’s expression, then it would be on her own terms. And not on a public beach.

Tom licked his lips and cleared his throat. Confusion was written all over his face.

‘Well… What?’ His voice was a bit hoarse.

‘Well, is it a success?’

‘Is what a success?’ 

‘The bikini, of course.’ 

He looked her up and down again, his gaze turning appreciative in spite of his visible emotional turmoil.

‘Oh, um, yes, it’s very nice.’ The corners of his mouth tilted up slightly.

‘Why thank you.’ She beamed at him and looked past him to the four men who had by now taken their places on the two sides of the net. ‘Do you need another player?’ she asked.

‘What?’ 

‘The beach volley. It looks like you’re uneven. Three against two.’

‘Oh, well, we thought we’d alternate. Four in the field, one on the sidelines.’

She raised an eyebrow at him.

‘Can I play?’ She asked, sending him a sweet smile. ‘It would even things out.’

Automatically, he smiled back, and his eyes became less sad.

‘If you want to.’ He acquiesced. ‘Have you played beach volleyball before?’

Kat shook her head.

‘Nope, can’t say that I have. I did play some regular volleyball during PE in school. But that usually turned into a deadly game of dodgeball… I’m wiling to learn, though.’ She added.

He nodded.

‘Alright.’ Then he turned to the other two women. ‘Do you want to play too?’

Both women shook their heads.

‘No thanks. We’ll hold down the fort.’ Susan said, gesturing to her sleeping daughter and the coolers underneath the parasol.

‘Yeah, we’ll guard the drinks. But, maybe later.’ Sunny agreed, throwing Kat a conspiring wink.

Kat smiled at the woman who seemed impressed with how she had staved off what could have turned into a dramatic scene. Little did she know that, in the past, it had become almost second nature for Kat to handle high strung situations in this way. When your life depends on it, you either pick up the ability, quickly, or you die… Kat lived.

‘You might need to put on a T-shirt, Kat. I don’t think that strapless top will stay in place for long if you start playing volleyball.’ Susan said; alerting Kat to the problem she had spotted in the choice of her apparel.

Kat looked down and concluded that the woman was right. The moment she dove for the ball, she’d be sans top. Damnit. She sighed.

‘I didn’t bring a T-shirt. I only have my dress.’ Disappointment coloured her tone.

‘You can borrow mine… If you want.’ Tom suddenly said, and walked to where he’d dropped his shirt on top of his shoes. Picking it up, he shook it out.

‘Oh… Okay.’ Kat gratefully nodded at the offer. She really needed to blow off some steam after all the talk of her past and the corresponding emotions it always brought with it. Her body was full of adrenaline and she felt jittery. A competitive game of beach volleyball would be very welcome.

Tom approached her as he held up the shirt.

‘Alright, arms up.’ He said, bunching up the shirt so her hands would slide into the sleeves easily.

Kat complied with his request and before she knew it, he was pulling the shirt over her head. A chuckle escaped her.

‘I could have done that myself, you know.’ Her tone was amused as she moved her now t-shirt clad arms toward her head, so she could push the hair out of her eyes with her fingers and look at the man in front of her.

‘But, where would be the fun in that?’ Tom asked, smiling, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. He pulled the shirt down over her hips and winked. ‘It looks better on you than it does on me.’ 

The light grey shirt was almost dress-like on her; the hem reaching halfway down her thighs. It was slightly tight in the chest and hip areas, but not so much that it was uncomfortable. Kat had to admit that she felt far more comfortable now that she was covered up. Maybe she hadn’t been as ready as she’d thought, to wear a bikini in public. 

The T-shirt being soft from many washings, and smelling of Tom’s musky cologne, also helped in settling her nerves. It felt snuggly and like home. She hugged her arms around her midsection and smiled up at Tom. 

‘Lead the way, Coeus.’ 

A fond smile played on Tom’s face when he chuckled.

‘Alright, then, Puck. Follow me.’ He held out his hand for her to take, and proceeded to lead her to the four men, who had just started a small warm up game; passing the volleyball between them by trying to throw it from one to the other with as much power as they could.

‘Hm. Not so different from Deadly Dodgeball after all.’ Kat remarked dryly. Tom let out a light laugh and affectionately squeezed her hand. She was happy that he seemed a bit more composed than he had been a few minutes before.

Bob, who had just taken a hit to the pectoral from Chris’ dodgeball antics, turned towards the ball that had glanced off his chest and had rolled into the path of Kat and Tom. His face lit up when he saw them.

‘Kitty Katie! You here to cheer me on?’

Kat shook her head and grinned.

‘Nope. I’m here to compete. Whose team am I on?’

‘Ours!’ Sebastian and Chris called out simultaneously as they almost bowled each other over to get to her first.

She took a step back; startled from their sudden and loud enthusiasm. She cleared her throat as she looked up to the grinning faces of the two beefy actors. They were too big. Too wide. Too everything.

‘Yeah, no. I don’t think so. I’m sticking with Tom and Bob, thanks.’ She looked past the two younger men to Mark. ‘If you don’t mind?’ She asked politely.

Mark shook his head.

‘Not at all. Go right ahead.’ 

‘Aw, man, really?’ Chris asked, sounding like a sore loser. ‘You pick the old man and the beanstalk over Team Cap?’

In addition to his friend’s question, Sebastian flexed his muscles and wiggled his eyebrows at her.

Kat tilted her head and raised an eyebrow.

‘You mean, experience and grace over two cocky jocks who think with their _dicks_?… Always.’ She immediately countered with a bit more bite than she intended and she bared her teeth at them, which more resembled a shark-like grin than a friendly smile. Next to her, she heard Tom snicker at her snark.

Bob let out a _whoop_.

‘Oooooooh, you need some ice for that burn, Evans? She got you gooooooood! Better watch out for this woman, boys, she’s got sharp, pointy teeth behind that sweet and quiet demeanour. She’ll devour you alive if you don’t back off.’

Chris grinned appreciatively and shrugged as he looked at her.

‘Good to know Tom here is in capable hands.’ He proffered his hand to her and smiled. ‘Welcome to the club, Kat.’

_Wait… What? That was another test?_

‘Jesus, Tom, how many of your other friends want to vet me? Maybe we can get it over with before MI5 or MI6 decide they want to lock me up for defiling a national treasure, yeah?’

Tom shrugged helplessly.

‘I’m sorry. It’s just… The Marvel bunch, they’re like a family, they watch out for their own. Sometimes they are a bit too protective of each other.’

_Ah… A family thing…_ She could understand that, being protective of a family member. She felt the same about her brother.

‘Alright. Fine. But no more on this trip, okay? It’s starting to stress me out a bit. All those people giving me the side eye, trying to determine if I’m not a gold digger or something… Urgh…’ A shiver of disgust traveled down her spine at the thought of constantly being the centre of attention whenever she met Tom’s friends. She understood, of course, being in their line of work brought a whole lot of unwanted attention with it, but it clashed with her introverted personality to constantly be under the close scrutiny of the Marvel bunch, as Tom had named them. 

Tom nodded with a small smile playing on his lips.

‘Alright.’ Was all he said.

Chris cleared his throat and squeezed her hand gently before letting it go.

‘Okay, now that that’s settled, let’s get this game on its way. Prepare to be crushed by Team Cap, Downey!’

Bob laughed mockingly.

‘You wish. Team Pandemonium brings experience, grace, and a very dangerous woman to the table. All you have is brawn. You’re overly confident… No offence, Mark.’

‘None taken.’ said Mark, grinning at Bob.

Chris opened his mouth to retaliate with no doubt another remark about his prowess, but Kat cut him off.

‘Alright, children!’ She said, clapping her hands. ‘Keep it in yer pants, boys. I do nae feel like havin’ ta measure all the wee willies flapping around right now.’

She stepped onto the improvised volleyball court and turned toward where the five men were gaping at her.

‘Well? What are ye waiting for? Christmas?’

Bob was the first one to unfreeze and he burst out laughing.

‘Kitty Katie, I think I love you!’ He exclaimed. Then, to Susan, ‘Hon, can we keep her? I want to adopt her!’

‘Sure, Bob.’ Susan waved and smiled serenely from where she was still sitting on the blanket, as if things like that happened all the time. 

Which they probably did, Kat realised. Living with him must be an almost daily roller coaster ride. She admired Susan for her patience and her ability to steer her whirlwind of a husband into the direction she wanted. Certainly a woman to be reckoned with.

Then the banter was over; everyone took their places, and the game began.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh, the drama; the suspense.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For everyone who has waited such a long time for an update: Here's 5000+ words. (I think it's close to the 5500 mark)
> 
> You're welcome! :D
> 
> This is my Sandbox. I like my Sandbox. There's a lot of Sand. :)

**Chapter 18**

 

_Friday, 17 March 2017, 10:29. Los Angeles, California._

 

Kat approached the reception desk in the swanky office building with a feeling of trepidation. Not that she showed it on the outside, of course. She knew better than to show sincere weakness when entering ‘the lion’s den’. Or, maybe, ‘the hyena’s den’ was a more suitable denomination for the production company’s headquarters. Though, that would be an insult to hyena’s all over the world. _Skunks then?_ Grumbling quietly about her mind’s inopportune habit to crack stress induced nonsense at her, Kat forcefully shook off the distracting thoughts her brain rapidly fired at random. _Focus!_ Taking a deep breath and reining in her nerves, she wobbled her way to the desk on her stiletto heels.

When she slowed her pace and came to a stop in front of the receptionist, she politely cleared her throat. The receptionist looked up from where he had been typing away at his keyboard. His gaze traveled over her appearance, visibly judging her cheap business attire to be pathetic, before he gave her a small, very condescending smile.

‘Good morning. What can I do for you?’ 

‘Um... G-good morning. I’m... um... Kat Blackburn. I have an appointment with mr Townsend and mr Pierson from PierTown Productions, at... um... ten thirty?’ She nervously adjusted the ill-fitting white dress-shirt and tight black business skirt she was wearing; deliberately allowing the receptionist to see her insecurity, and emphasising it by raising her voice into a question at the end of the sentence as she darted her eyes around the reception area. Looking for all the world as if she was terribly unsure of herself, and painfully out of place, while she automatically pinpointed where the security cameras were located. It was something that had become second nature to her during her teenage years and early twenties. Only this time she wasn’t trying to avoid the cameras. She wanted to be seen as the girl who was terribly out of her depth. Covertly, she glanced at the clock, and concluded that she’d cut the timing of her arrival quite close, with only one minute to spare. Just like Susan had told her to. _‘They will probably try to isolate you. I know guys like these. They’ll come and pick you up from the reception themselves. It’s an intimidation tactic. Don’t worry, we’ll be arriving right after you. Around ten thirty-five. Ten forty at the latest. I promise we_ ** _will_** _have your back, hon. If they come and get you and we’re not there yet, stall them.’_

Kat had nodded in understanding. Both Susan and Bob would need to legalise the documents -which all three of them had signed, and Tom had witnessed, while on the phone with two of their lawyers- of their business partnership with Kat at their sollicitor’s office -which would open at nine in the morning- before they, and their legal team, would be able to come to Kat’s aid.

_‘Right. Hustle them. Buy time. I can do that.’_

Tom had protested vehemently against their plan.

_‘I just don’t see how this is necessary... Why can’t I go in with her? I’m not comfortable with Kat being alone with them. She’s been through enough without those tossers trying to intimidate her!’_

Bob had shaken his head at Tom.

_‘I’m sorry, but you will have to stay out of this, Tom.’_ He held up his hand when Tom had opened his mouth to object. _‘You’re dating Kat. It doesn’t matter if it still is in a very premature stage. And you’re also auditioning for a part in the movies based on her books. You have a major conflict of interest, even without all the filming rights crap, and that’s something that we don’t need right now. It’s a powderkeg situation, my friend. We don’t want to light the fuse. Or give them the excuse they need to legally bind her to them. It’s best, for all parties, if you are not associated with this. Keep her break from them as simple as possible. Your involvement would only convolute an already delicate plight.’_ Bob had looked at Tom with sympathy in his eyes. _‘Sorry, man.’_

_‘No! This is_ ** _not_** _acceptable!’_ Tom had exclaimed, close to losing his temper, and he had begun to pace, nervous energy radiating off of him as he’d searched for the words that would place him between Kat and what he saw as a threat to her well-being.

Stepping into his path, Kat had splayed her hand on his chest to stop his restless pacing. He had started to resemble a caged panther; muscles tense and expression harsh as his nostrils had flared in suppressed anger. He had frowned at her when she’d looked up at him.

_‘You can’t be serious about going in alone.’_ He’d said, his tone disbelieving, and his eyes pleading with her to reconsider. _‘You don’t know what these people are capable of to get their way. Do you really think that they’re just going to let you go? You’re a potential multi-million dollar windfall to them. They’ll use anything and everything they have to keep you in their greedy grasp.’_

She’d sighed and sent him her own pleading expression.

_‘I’m sorry, Tom, but Bob is right. You can’t protect me. You’ll have to stay out of this and keep your hands clean._

_‘But...’_

_‘No. This shitstorm has the potential to severely damage your career if everything goes sideways. I don’t want that for you, Tom. Stay out of it.’_ Her tone had been soft, but unyielding in its sternness.

_‘I don’t fucking care about my career!’_ He’d stated heatedly, and Kat had pulled a face at the blatant lie.

_‘That’s not true, and you know it. You’ve worked tirelessly for years to get where you are now. Not really the action of someone who doesn’t care, is it? Now, stop being so fucking stubborn and let me do what I do best...’_

_‘Which is? Killing them with_ ** _kindness?!_** _’_ The sarcasm in his voice had had so much venom behind it, and his body language had radiated such rage, that Kat had taken a startled step backwards at the hissed question; she’d been suddenly unsure if giving him her trust so unconditionally hadn’t been a mistake. Her gaze hadn’t left his face until then, but after his outburst it had nervously flitted over his widened, almost threatening stance, and her brain had started to automatically calculate the risk of bodily harm to herself if she stayed within his reach. She had seen the moment that he had realised what he’d done. He’d immediately relaxed his body; the regret in his gaze almost palpable. He’d taken a step forward and she’d taken another step back. _‘Kat... I’m...’_

Sending him a sad smile, Kat had interrupted him by answering his question harshly, and ignoring his attempt at an apology. 

_‘Don’t you understand? You might_ **_play_ ** _the part of Loki in a movie, but_ **_I’m_ ** _the biggest trickster in this room, love. A real life one. I have worn more masks with more conviction than you, as an actor, will_ **_ever_ ** _aspire to wear; and they weren’t taken on in an attempt to entertain, they were born out of pain, and fear, and necessity. I wanted to survive and I would wear whichever mask I needed to stay alive. The fact that I’ve chosen not to wear those masks anymore, doesn’t mean that I can’t be whatever, whomever, I need to be for this undertaking to be brought to its desired conclusion. I can do this, Tom. And I_ **_will_ ** _. Alone.’_

Tom had kept quiet then, seemingly lost for words; his expression alternating between stubborn denial and reluctant resignation.

She’d sighed whistfully, and had crossed her arms over her chest, hugging herself as she had looked down, frowning, lost in bad memories for a few seconds, before letting her haunted gaze travel up to Tom’s again. _‘I don’t want you to see what I’m..._ ** _Who_** _I’m capable of being. I don’t want to be who I used to be, when I’m with you. I want to be_ ** _me_** _... with you.’_ A tear had escaped her left eye, betraying her inner turmoil as she had looked up at Tom, silently pleading with him to understand at least one of the reasons why she didn’t want him to be involved in the mess she’d found herself in. _‘Please... I don’t want you to see me like that and risk that you will forever be in doubt about me. Wondering if the person I am now is the real deal, or just another con. I don’t want you tainted by that part of my life. Can you understand that?’_

Eventually, Tom had capitulated, but it had left a bit of a rift between them. After the two of them had said their goodbyes to Bob and Susan, they’d retreated to the guest house for the night. Tom had been very dejected, leaving her in front of her bedroom door with just a ‘good night’ before disappearing into his own room, closing the door behind him without looking back.

It had taken her a long time to fall asleep, and her sleep had been restless and riddled with disturbing dreams, but she stood by her decision to go at it without Tom’s help. They’d only had their first date just over twenty-four hours before, and she didn’t want him involved in her predicament.

In the morning, she’d mechanically gone through the motions of dressing and having coffee before she had made her way to Bob and Susan’s for some last minute planning. Tom didn’t show his face until both Bob and Susan had already left for their sollicitor’s, and Kat had almost been inside the cab that would take her to the production company’s offices.

_‘Kat! Wait!’_ Tom’s voice carried across the courtyard between the two houses as he’d hurriedly walked towards her. He’d still been in his clothes from the day before and his hair had been very dishevelled. Hadn’t he slept?

Hesitating, Kat had let go of the car door and turned fully towards him.

_‘I have to go, Tom.’_ She’d said when he came to a stop in front of her.

_‘I know... I’m so sorry for losing my temper... And... I wanted to say that I trust in your ability to take care of yourself.’_ He’d slowly lifted his hand to her face to cup her cheek, his thumb caressing her cheekbone as an imploring expression had flashed over his face. _‘Just... be careful, okay?’_

Kat had nodded and given him a tentative smile.

_‘Okay.’_ It hadn’t escaped her notice that his gaze had traveled to her lips as she’d formed the word. 

She didn’t know who had made the first move, but suddenly their mouths had crashed together in a frenzy of desperate kisses, and caressing tongues, and sharp nips being soothed by more kisses that had left her burning, and dizzy, and out of breath against the side of the cab when Tom had slightly retreated and rested his forehead against hers, his eyes closed and his chest moving swifty up and down in time with his quick breaths.

_‘Fuck...’_

An amused snort had escaped her at the heartfelt expletive.

_‘Welcome to my messy life.’_ The dry-witted remark had drawn a chuckle from the man in front of her, and he’d pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. _‘I really have to go...’_ She’d repeated her earlier statement with slightly less conviction than the first time ‘round.

_‘Be safe.’_ Tom had whispered. He’d opened his eyes and dropped his hands to his sides. Then he’d stepped back to look at her earnestly.

Nodding, Kat had opened the car door and slid into the back seat; throwing a last reassuring smile to Tom through the window, before the door had slammed shut and the cab had driven away.

When the cab had dropped her off at the curb in front of the building where she was expected, she’d received a text from Bob, telling her that they were en route and that they were about ten to fifteen minutes out.

 

Allowing her hesitant smile to have just the right amount of nervous tremor as she introduced herself to the receptionist, Kat saw how his demeanor changed like the flip of a switch when he learned her name. He’d clearly been briefed about her arrival. Jumping up from his seat, a big, fake smile appeared on his face.

‘Oh, yes, ms Blackburn. Of course, we’ve been expecting you. Just take a seat on one of the couches. Mr Townsend will be with you shortly. Would you like some coffee? Tea, maybe? We have some delicious Earl Grey; imported from England.’ 

_Wow. Laying it on a bit thick there, pal._ Kat’s mind remarked cynically.

‘Oh... Um... Coffee is fine, thank you. With a splash of milk and two sugars, please...’ Kat let her voice trail off as she played along, wringing her hands and dialling up her awkwardness. She slowly made her way to one of the designer chairs in the designated waiting area; all the while allowing her gaze to wander around the large, open space and showing the appropriate awe for the opulent luxury that surrounded her. By the time Kat sat down, the receptionist had arrived with her cup of coffee, and she had clocked each and every visible exit and emergency exit on the ground floor, including the one that was indicated with a lit up sign towards the back of the building, and spotted two lifts, one visible set of stairs, and a basic security set-up.

Now, time to get rid of the receptionist. But how?

‘Would you like something with your coffee? We have donuts, chocolate chip cookies, and Oreos.’ If the man beamed at her any wider, his face would split in two.

Shaking her head, Kat shrugged; secretly overjoyed that he’d so easily handed her the excuse for persuading him to leave the premises.

‘Uh... No, that’s okay, thanks.’ She waited for the receptionist to turn away and start walking back to his desk before she pretended to change her mind. ‘ _Oh... wait..._ I was wondering...’ She hesitated as she swallowed. ‘No... Um... never mind. It would be impolite to ask...’ 

The man turned back to her and, somehow, he managed to smile even wider; reminding Kat more of a shark than anything else.

‘No, that’s okay. What is it? I’d be happy to help.’ He insisted.

Giving him a sweet, subdued smile, Kat bit her lower lip, which was still a bit plumper, and slightly more sensitive than normal, which reminded her of Tom’s passionate kisses. _Stop thinking about him! Focus!_

‘It’s just that... Well... I’ve heard so much about the Starbucks Double Chocolate Chunk Brownie... We don’t have those in the UK, you know... And... I saw from the taxi that there is a Starbucks right around the corner...’ _And it’s packed with people wanting their ten thirty coffee and snacks. Perfect for you to stand in line and be out of my hair for the next twenty minutes..._

She blinked innocently up at the man, and raised her hand to skittishly play with one of the unfastened buttons of her blouse that was located right next to her cleavage and right above the one that was straining to keep the cheap cloth together over her ample chest. Immediately, the man’s gaze drifted down to where the blouse was almost obscenely tightly stretched over a black lace bra. ‘... Um... But, no... I couldn’t possibly ask you...’ She blushed, looking away shyly. ‘I’m sorry, that was so forward of me.’ Bringing her hands up to her face and cupping her burning cheeks between them, she made sure that her breasts were pushed up even further.

Tearing his gaze away from her assets with visible difficulty, he looked up, and smiled his shark smile again.

‘No, of course. It is no trouble, really. As you said, it’s just around the corner.’ He turned around and started towards the door. ‘I’ll be right back... You just drink your coffee and relax... Don’t you go anywhere, little lady.’ The flirty words sounded so creepy coming from him; especially with knowing what she did about the company’s attempts at intimidation.

‘Oh my god, that is so nice of you.’ She giggled when he threw her a grin over his shoulder. ‘I’ll be right here, waiting.’ _And definitely not drinking that coffee._

The coffee cup was filled to the brim with coffee. Which was strange when the coffee machine was one of those expensive, shiny high-tech things and the cups were of the same brand. Usually those things were adjusted within an inch of their lives to filling the cups just right. 

When she was sure the man couldn’t see her anymore, she picked up her coffee, and brought it to her nose to sniff the strong, suspcious brew. The coffee smell was so overpowering that it made it impossible to detect any other odours. Carefully, Kat dipped her pinky-finger into the coffee, shaking it until only a very small drop remained suspended from the tip. She licked the drop from her skin and let it soak into her tongue. 

_Fuck!_

The taste was unmistakeable. In spite of the added sugar -quite a bit more than the two requested sugars- and milk, there was still a lingering salty flavour to the brew that had no business being there; the distinctive tang of GHB invaded her taste buds. For it to be still so discernable over the strong, incredibly sweet coffee, indicated that it was a large dose.

_Fuckin’ hell... Are they tryin’ ta kill me?_ She spit the saliva that had accumulated around the drop back into the cup, trying to dispell as much of the drug from her mouth as she could. 

She didn’t think it probable that the producers were looking for her demise. It wouldn’t do to kill the golden goose. But the amount in that coffee cup would have made her very, very agreeable to suggestion - _to, ah, sign some contracts, maybe?_ \- for about half an hour before knocking her out for the rest of the day, if not longer. These people were either very dumb, concerning the dosage of drugs, or they were very, _very dangerous._ Pushing away the nightmarish visuals that that thought brought to her retinas, she fought to keep her breathing even and her heart-rate down. The kinds of things they’d be able to do to her while she was out cold was something she didn’t want to think about. _Been there, done that, got th... Oh, shut the fuCK UP!_

Allowing herself a couple of seconds to break down, she breathed through the panic that gripped her, and then she slipped the mask of awkward, nervous, and innocent Kat back into place. She’d have the luxury and the time to fall apart later. Preferably in the safety of her friends’ home.

Quickly, Kat looked around if she was still alone, and then she, as discretely as she could manage with her trembling hands, emptied the cup of coffee into the pot of a fake plant, which was placed on a small table next to the chair she was sitting in.

She fished her phone out of her bag and typed a quick text to Bob.

 

**_KittyKatie_ **

GHB in coffee. Not imbibed. Dumped in pot nxt 2 ornge desgn chair. Am OK. Hve 2 act high. Taping convo. Hrry!

 

The ping of the lift sounded just when she sent the text. Hurriedly, she opened the recording app on her phone, hit record, and stuffed her phone back into her bag as inconspicuously as possible. A quick glance on the clock above the reception desk told her that it was only ten thirty-nine. _Shite._ Best case scenario, Bob and Susan were about to arrive. Worst case scenario, they were still about six minutes out, maybe more if they had run into bad traffic.

Rising to her feet, giving her legs an exaggerated wobble in the stilettos, Kat put the empty coffee cup back onto its saucer that was located on the coffee table in front of her. She didn’t even have to pretend that her hands were trembling, leaving the cup to stand off-kilter on its base. Then she straightened up and turned to the man who had approached her. Fuck, he was big. Tall, and wide. Heavy. Dressed in grey linen trousers and a white button-up shirt under a grey linen jacket. 

A cold sweat broke out on her back. _Keep it together! Hustle the fuck out of him. Play for time!_

A sunny smile broke through on her face as she looked up at him.

‘Hello.’ She said, sounding ditzy and putting a swaying motion into her stance, followed by a wobbling on the stiletto heels. ‘Oh, oops.’ A giggle escaped her when she took hold of the man’s proffered hand. The large paw took her hand in an almost painfully tight grip.

‘Watch your step, young lady. Those heels are awefully high. Wouldn’t want you to get hurt, now, would we?’ The man’s oily voice caused a shiver of revulsion to travel down Kat’s spine, and she wished he’d let go of her hand.

Another giggle escaped her.

‘I’m sorry.’ Another wobble of her heels. ‘Oh my god, where are my manners?! Hi, I’m Kat... Blackburn.’ She pumped his hand up and down enthusiastically as she grinned an almost manically happy grin at him. Apparently she came across as slightly too enthusiastic in his opinion, because as she was gearing up for the eight shake, he let go of her hand. _Oh thank the gods._ If he’d held on to her any longer, she might have barfed all over him. There was something about him that repulsed her on a cellular level. 

‘Lovely to meet you, Kat. You don’t mind if I call you Kat, do you? I’m Walt Townsend.’ He nodded at her as he looked her up and down, his gaze stopping at her breasts twice before coming up to her face again. _Motherfucking Prick!_

Smiling sweetly at him, she nodded.

‘Yeah, Kat is fiiiiiiine...’ She swayed again and put a hand to her brow, frowning. ‘I feel... strange...’

‘Oh dear, you’re not coming down with something, are you?’ He sounded so worried for her as he took her firmly by the elbow. ‘Here, let me help you.’ 

‘Aw, thank you, kind sir.’ She said in her Scottish brogue. ‘Where are we going?’ 

‘We’re going to my office. You’re here to sign a few papers. Do you remember?’

‘Oh... yeeeeaaaah... for my films.’ Her head lolled to the side as she loopily looked at him.

‘Yeah, close enough.’ Walt said. ‘How much did that dumbass give her?’ he muttered under his breath.

‘Give who, what?’ Kat looked around with big eyes, as if she expected to see another woman.

‘Nothing to break your pretty little head over, honey. Come on, let’s get you upstairs.’ They were stood in front of the lifts and Walt pressed the call button a couple of times.

Kat burst out laughing.

‘Upstairs? These aren’t stairs! These are lifts.’ She managed to escape Walt’s grip and wobbled away, pointing. ‘Look, those are the stairs...’ Pushing open the door to the stairs, she pulled herself up a couple of steps. ‘Come on, Walt. Let’s get upstairs...’ She giggled when he caught up to her, cursing under his breath.

‘Goddamned idiot doesn’t even know how to dose someone with fucking GHB.’ He growled, loud enough that Kat was sure her phone had been able to record the words. _Good. You’re going down, fucker._

_Where the FUCK are you, Downey?!_ Panic suddenly gripped her when she realised she wouldn’t be able to stall Walt for very much longer.

Walt wrestled her back towards the lifts just in time for him to shove her through the opening lift doors and into the confined space. He pressed the button for the top floor.

‘Noooo, I don’t like small spaces.’ Kat whined, and tried to step out of the lift again. 

She wasn’t quick enough, because she was hauled back and the doors closed right in front of her nose. _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuuuuuuck. Not good._ How the fuck was she going to alert Bob about herchanged circumstances?!

It only took seconds for the lift to reach the top floor, and Walt ushered her along with him, to the left, all the while holding her upper arm in a painful grip. She had no choice than to wobble along with him, managing to trip herself up a couple of times to slow him down.

He took her into an office that was two halls down from the lift and had an amazing view over the city of LA.

Pushing her down into a chair at an expensive looking desk, Walt put a few papers in front of her and handed her a pen. Kat giggled and clicked the small button on top of the pen in a very quick fashion, until it broke.

‘Oopssss... Sowwy...’ She pouted and held out the ruined pen to him.

With an annoyed growl, Walt took the pen away from her. He turned to one of the drawers in the desk and rummaged through it. He seemed to be looking for another pen.

Kat sprung up from her chair when he wasn’t paying attention to her and wobbled towards the window, pretending to gawk at the view. If she could only get her phone out of her bag and send a text...

‘What are you doing?!’ The yell startled her, but she kept up her ditzy demeanor.

‘I can almost see my house from here! It’s sooooooo hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh!’ A deligted laugh escaped her as she leaned her head against the glass. Okay, maybe the laugh was slightly more unhinged than delighted. Quickly, she reined in her growing panic, and, with a herculean effort, remained in character. She realised she really wasn’t cut out for this kind of life anymore. She’d changed too much. 

‘It’s almost like flying.’ She sighed and let herself slide to the side a bit. ‘I feel tired. I wanna sleep now.’

‘No! You have to sign the papers first!’ The panic that shone through in Walt’s voice tickled her humour, and she genuinely giggled at his alarmed tone.

‘Oh, yeah... I forgot. So silly.’ She babbled, sending him a loopy smile. ‘Can I sleep after?’

An exasperated sigh escaped him.

‘Yeah, sure, knock yourself out.’ He said resignedly. 

Apparently he’d found another pen, because a new one was lying on the papers on his desk when she turned towards it.

Suddenly, a loud ringtone rent the silence in the office. 

Kat recognised it immediately. _Bob!_

‘Ooooooooh! That’s my mummy!’ Grinning elatedly at Walt, she fished for her phone in her bag. ‘I have to take this. I promised to call her and I forgot, and now she’s worried.’

‘No. Wait!’ Walt stepped forward, his hand outstretched toward her phone, but he was too late. She’d already pressed the green button.

‘Hiiiiiiii mummy! I’m so happyyyy you called!’ Her voice was squeaky high and excited as she spoke into the receiver.

_‘We’re in the building. Tell me where you are.’_ Bob got straight to business. 

‘Yesss, I’m so hiiiiiigh right now. You wouldn’t believe it, mum. I’m flying so high! The highest I’ve ever been. Wheeeeeeee!’ A giggle escaped her, and she stretched out her left arm, pretending to fly as she swayed from side to side. From the corner of her eye, she could see how Walt facepalmed and shook his head. _Good. Stalling like a boss._

_‘So, top floor then. Left or right from the elevators?’_

‘I’m like Peter Pan, mum! I’m going to fly left and from the second star straight on ‘till morning!’ A gleeful snicker made its way up from her throat.

_‘Hang tight. We’re on our way!’_

‘No! I can decide for myself if I wanna be high or not!’ She said to the softly beeping tone in her ear.

‘Fuck you, mum!’ Making a spectacle of hanging up on her mum, pretending to miss the button a few times and frowning as she did so, she managed to put her phone on record again just before she slipped it back into her bag. ‘Spoilsport.’ She grumbled.

Yawning, she started to slide down the glass panel of the window which she’d been leaning against while talking to her ‘mum’.

‘I’m gonna sleep now.’ Letting her eyes droop and her head loll to the side, she caught sight of the full blown panic on Walt’s face. _Shit. Not good._ People who panicked were people who became unpredictable. _Unfuck this situation. Now!_

Lifting her head, she blearily looked at him.

‘Weren’t we doing something?’ Puzzlement coloured her tone.

She allowed Walt to hoist her up from where she’d almost slid to the ground. He deposited her onto the chair she’d previously occupied and forced the newly found pen into her hands.

‘Yes, yes, we were. You were about to sign a few papers... To make your films. Remember?’ He sounded so hopeful. 

‘Oh... Yes... That’s right...’ She slowly drawled, her head pitching forward. 

Someone, Walt, roughly shook her to keep her awake, and positioned her hand so that the tip of the pen was right on the dotted line. She blinked sluggishly and looked at her hand. Uncomprehending.

‘What do... I... do?’ She asked.

‘You write your signature on the dotted line. See?’ Walt pointed at where she should sign, sounding frantic with hope.

‘Oh... Yeah...’

Slowly, Kat started to write on the dotted line. She could almost hear the man behind her vibrate with expectant happiness. _Goddamn fucking asshole! Drugging women and then conning them out of millions of dollars! What an utter wanker!_

‘There.’ She said, satisfied with her work. Moving on to the next piece of paper, she started to repeat the action.

A big, greedy paw grabbed the first paper she’d signed out from under her left forearm. 

_Fuck._

Within seconds, a sharp intake of breath was heard from behind her. And then,

‘What did you _DO?!_ ’ Walt almost screamed at her, waving the paper in front of her when she turned around to droopily look up at him.

Kat frowned as if her brain had trouble processing what he meant.

‘I... wrote... on... the dotted... line...’ She slurred.

Walt stepped forward and slammed the paper onto the table with a loud bang. His face was almost purple as he tried to form words.

‘You... goddamned... fucking stupid English **_BITCH!_** ’ He eventually bellowed next to her right ear. Cringeing away from his halitosis infested breath, she let out a whimper. Her ear beeped painfully.

Looking down at the crumpled piece of paper, Kat could still make out the lovely words written on the dotted line. _Your Signature_. She couldn’t help the self-satisfied smirk that lifted the corners of her lips minutely. Ducking her head so he wouldn’t see, she decided to play along for a bit longer.

‘But... You said...’ She started to say, her voice trembling. 

‘I _KNOW_ what I _said_.’ He interrupted her, breathing deeply to get his temper under control.

Did she hear footsteps and whispers out in the hallway? Yes! There! _Finally, they’re here! Took ‘em fucking long enough!_ Relief flooded her system.

‘Now, you’re going to write your _name_ on those dotted lines. I don’t care if it’s not your signature. I just want your name. First name and last name. On the dots. Understood?’ Walt’s hand suddenly folded itself around the back of her neck and squeezed. Hard. Before she had the time to let out a pained groan, he let go again.

Releasing a breath she felt she’d been holding for far too long, Kat turned the desk-chair on its axis, throwing the pen she’d been holding down on the papers and crossing her arms in front of her chest. Looking up at the criminal bullying asshole who had been making her life hell for the past months, she crossed her legs at the ankles and leaned backwards against the backrest. Her eyes narrowed and she glared dangerously at him; causing Walt to look at her in surprise.

‘No.’ She said; her tone holding such a finality in it that it made the man in front of her flinch. 'I'd like for you to meet my newly minted business partners now, Walt.' 

Behind Walt the door to the hallway opened and in stepped Bob and Susan; followed by two of their security people and three police officers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback and Kudos keep the muse inspired and fed. ;)
> 
> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> Cheers! ^_^


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waylaying Walt...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oomph, in between moving house and trying to keep my sanity, I managed to type out a chapter. O.O 
> 
> Okay... Maybe the sanity is slightly... lost... XD Mhuwhahahahahahahaaaaa...
> 
> I own nothing, make no money, yadayadayada...
> 
> I just love Sandboxing in my Sandbox.
> 
> Enjoy! :)

**Chapter 19**

 

Walt whirled around from where he’d been incredulously staring at a suddenly sober Kat, a stunned expression gracing his bulldog-like features.

‘Wha...’ His eyes widened and bulged when he saw Bob standing in the doorway as the man conversed with the policemen before the three of them left the room with both security guards; all five men standing guard outside the room while Bob and Susan stayed behind with Kat and Walt. Bob closed the door so they would have the privacy they needed to conduct their business.

Kat, who kicked off her stiletto heels and stood from her perch on the chair, this time quite steady on her feet, saw how Walt opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, looking very much like a very ugly fish.

Then he seemed to collect himself and squared his shoulders.

‘What the _hell_ is going on here?!’ He barked out, baring his teeth at Kat as he scowled at her. ‘I demand answers!’ Spittle flew in her direction and she leaned back to avoid it hitting her in the face. _Yuck!_

‘Alright.’ Kat said. ‘If it is answers you want, then it’s _answers_ you will get.’ She gestured towards Bob and Susan. ‘Walt, these are my friends, Bob and Susan, who happen to also be my business parters as of...’ Glancing at Bob she raised an eyebrow.

‘Ten fifteen-ish, this morning.’ Bob finished her sentence turning his hand from side to side to convey it was an estimation.

‘Ten fifteen-ish, this morning.’ Kat told Walt. ‘Thank you, Bob.’ Bob threw her a grin that told her he was enjoying himself way too much. 

Stepping to the side so she would be out of Walt’s reach, she tilted her head as she gazed up athim with cold, hard eyes.

‘K.T. Blackburn and Team Downey have combined their forces, and are now equal partners in the very recently established Rowdydow Inc.; which is the company that is going to be producing the Pandemonium movies.’

‘What? No. You’re here to sign the rights to that venture over to us!’ Walt protested, going pale.

‘Yeah. No. I don’t think so.’ Shaking her head, Kat threw him a glare. ‘I came here today to tell you that I do not agree with your proposal. And no matter how much you pressure me, I will not sign away those rights. To be honest, I still can’t believe that you had the gall to propose what you did, and I’m sure as hell not putting my signature under that turd of a contract, or under any other contract that you put in front of me. You lost my trust the moment I found out your were trying to wrestle my creation away from me.’ She took a step towards him so she could poke him in the chest with a finger, to emphasise her next words. ‘Did you really think that I’d be so overjoyed that someone wanted to make a couple of films based on my books that I’d just sign away not only all my rights to the world I created, but also the rights to everything I was going write in the coming five years? Did you think me so desperate for money or fame that I’d sign anything you put in front of me without diligently reading the small print?’ Her voice raised in volume when she lost her calm. ‘How fucking stupid to you think I _am_ , you feckin’ cumbubble?!’

‘You owe us...’ Walt started to say, but Kat interrupted him immediately.

‘Owe _you_?!’ A mocking laugh escaped her. ‘Fow what, exactly, do I owe you and your dickwad of a partner? Hm? For you trying to sideline me on my own book series? Or for the email harrassment I received when I didn’t feel like signing those contracts immediately after receiving them in my email account? Or are you talking about the lawsuit threats you sent my way?’ She held up a finger. ‘Oh, no, I know! I owe you for the cup of GHB-‘n-coffee I dumped into one of your fake plants! Yeah, that must be it, I owe you for the drugs you used to try and incapacitate me with, to coerce me into signing those fucking contracts.’ The sarcasm made her voice biting and scratchy.

Walt scoffed at the last accusation; his whole demeanor changing from worried to gleeful, when she mentioned the drug she’d found in her coffee.

‘You’re a fucking _junkie_. You could have brought that in, yourself.’ Turning away from them, he pulled open a drawer in his desk, taking out a beige file that was at least three inches thick. He dropped in onto the desk with a thump; a triumphant smirk playing over his face. 

Kat frowned in confusion as she took in the thick stack of paper.

‘What’s that?’ She asked.

‘This is your whole life, bitch. Every last, criminal, whorish, drug infested piece of it. Who do you think people will believe? Me, the CEO of a successful production company, or _you_ , a broke, pathetic junk with a penchant for lying, and swindling people, who coincidentally wrote a couple of door-stopper sized books? Two flimsy stories won’t save you from a lifetime of living in the gutter, you know... Ironic, isn’t it? That your first book is almost as thick as your file? And it almost reads like it, too. With all the intrigue and crime.’ Walt snickered when he saw her eyeing the file with trepidation. ‘It’s all there, sweetheart. From the day you were born all the way up until now. You’ve been rotten to the core from the time you were conceived, and the proof of that is all in here.’ He pointed at the stack of paper that apparently held all her transgressions, ‘It is all anyone will need to see to come to the conclusion that you’re just a lying bitch looking for a big payday. It’s more than enough to ruin the rest of your life. Nothing ever goes away once it’s on the internet.’

_‘What?’_ Kat whispered, horrified by the man’s audacity.

‘Now, wait a minute!’ Bob suddenly interjected heatedly, taking a deep breath to start and defend her, but Kat stepped in before he could build up steam. 

‘You asshole!’ She exclaimed, her expression one of powerless anger as she looked at Walt, desperation creeping into her voice.

A sly smile appeared on his face when he saw her face fall and tears gather in her eyes.

‘Now, the way I see it, you have one of two choices. Either you sign these contracts and rescind your agreement with mr Downey, here, and the file goes away, or you don’t, and I’ll release this whole garbage pile to the public. Your writing career will be over and you’ll be the laughing stock of the literary world. You’d be lucky to get a job cleaning toilets, after I’m done with you.’

A shiver of revulsion traveled down her spine at his cold, unfeeling attitude towards her career and her life, and a shuddering breath escaped her when she looked up at him pleadingly.

‘No. Please...’ She begged. A tear escaped her eye, and then another, and another. As she looked at his hard expression, which told her he wasn’t bluffing, she started to cry uncontrollably. ‘You can’t do that!’ She cried out. ‘Please?! My writing is all I have... Don’t take that away. You can’t do that to me.’

A cruel and satisfied expression spread over Walt’s face now that he had her where he wanted her.

‘I _can_ do that, and I _will,_ if you don’t put your signature on those papers. I’ll make sure you’ll be back out on the streets in no time. We could have done this the easy way, if you’d only drank that coffee, but this way will do just as nicely, I think. So, what will it be? All your shit out in the open?’ He gestured to the file. ‘Or...

_‘No... Please... Please, don’t...’_ The whisper that forced its way out of her throat was broken and desperate. She tried to breathe past the panic and she knew that he could see her trying to push away the fear. To try and remain calm.

‘All you have to do is sign the contracts, sweetheart. I’ll make this all go away if you do.’ Walt soothed.

Looking up at the bully in front of her, Kat made a keening sound, closely resembling that of a wounded animal. She closed her eyes and hugged herself while the tears kept flowing down her cheeks. Then she opened them again, and gazed at Bob and Susan through a haze of moisture.

‘I... I’m sorry, Bob... Suze... I’m _so_ sorry...’ Her voice trembled badly as she looked away in shame. She couldn’t keep eyecontact with them, it hurt too much, betraying their trust like she was about to. She had to sign those blasted contracts. There was no other choice. Bile burned in the back of her throat at the thought of being legally indebted to a monster for the coming years.

Susan had looked so horrified at what she’d witnessed, tears visible in her eyes and lost for words. Squeezing her eyes closed, Kat let out a shuddering breath. She could do this. It was only for a few years. Lots of things could happen during those years, things that maybe would make it possible to free herself from the legal noose around her neck. 

Bob took a step forward, stretching his hand out toward Kat, as if to try and stop her. His expression was one of disbelief and shock.

‘No, KittyKatie... We’ll work something out. You don’t have to do this. We’ll work something out...’ His voice was full of compassion and persuasion.

‘ _Im sorry..._ ’ Kat whispered, and turned towards Walt, who was throwing the married couple across the room triumphant looks.

Taking the pen he was holding from his hands, Kat spread out the three pieces of crumpled paper she was supposed to sign and, sniveling pathetically, signed them in quick succession, one after another.

In big, bold letters.

 

**_GO_ **

 

**_FUCK_ **

 

**_YOURSELF_ **

 

She stacked the pieces of paper in the right order, and handed them to Walt, glaring up had him with an icy cold look in her grey eyes. Wiping away the tears and snot from her face with the sleeve of her blouse - _Hm, I may have overdone the whole breakdown a bit, with all the fluids running down my face_ , she thought-, she observed how Walt looked over the papers and then proceeded to turn a lovely shade of puce when he discovered her rebellion.

‘Well, now that that’s all over and done with, let’s talk about you trying to drug me into compliance with an amount of GHB that would have killed me.’ Folding her hands in front of her stomach and pressing her elbows to her sides, she looked for all the world the subdued, meek woman Walt had thought her to be now that she was all cleaned up and reformed. A small, serene smile played on her face as the words left her mouth in a chipper tone. ‘I don’t think your justice system has much mercy for blackmailers, turned drug suppliers, turned would-be murderers, now, does it?’

A whispered, impressed ‘ _Wow..._ ’ came from Bob, followed by a soft hum from Susan, before Walt burst out in anger.

‘You fucking _BITCH!_ I’ll **_end_** you!’ He bellowed. ‘Mark my words, no-one will _ever_ work with you again! _No-one_ will ever want to buy your books _ever_ again! You’re going **_down_**!’

‘Yeah, I heard you the first two times when you threatened me.’ She coolly remarked. ‘It’s just that... I don’t really care what you do...’ Raising an eyebrow at him she dealt him the death-blow. ‘You see, in contrast to you prude americans with your holier than thou attitudes, and your carefully buried and hidden skeletons in your closets,’ she turned to Bob and Susan, ‘no offence,’ Bob waved her on, gesturing that he wasn’t offended, ‘I’m not ashamed of my past. And if you had taken the time to read up on me, my biography _is_ published on my website. You could have read about all the shite in my life a lot sooner than having some private investigator dig up my dirt; some of which is from redacted files, by the way, because I was a minor. You might want to look extra carefully into the legality of those, they could turn around and bite you in the arse when you least expect it. 

‘The only thing I omitted in my biography, is my gender. Otherwise, it’s all there. The drugs, the swindles, the criminal charges.’ She bent forward slightly to look at him conspiringly. ‘And, you know what? People still want to read my books! Go figure!’

The man in front of her was about to go apopleptic with rage. 

‘What?! I... You... _You..._ ’

‘Yes? Me what?’

‘I’ll _sue_ you! I’ll sue you for **_everything_** you have!’ He was grasping at straws.

Kat grinned like the cat who ate the canary.

‘Heh. What a coincidence.’ She gestured to her friends, who were following the exchange with rapt attention. ‘Bob and Susan, here... Well, they happen to have an entire legal team at their disposal, and I _happened_ to talk with a few of their lawyers last night. And you know what they told me? If I have proof of your stalking and your harrassment of me, I can sue _you!_ Isn’t that a coincidence? We can sue eachother! What fun!’ She let a delighted laugh bubble up from her tummy as she clapped her hands in enthusiasm. Deep inside, it slightly worried her how easily she’d slipped back into the snarky, sarcastic, and cold persona she’d used, and needed, to survive so long ago; it felt like putting on an old coat that had been really lived in, it was almost comforting in its familiarity. Apparently, the craft of pretending was something that never really left you, no matter how much you tried to leave it behind.

Walt growled in anger.

‘Proof? What proof? You have no proof! Those e-mails we sent you were clean! They were coercive at most. And those drugs, I had the fucking receptionist put them in your coffee. I never touched them. It’s my word against his, my word against yours, and we both know who they will believe. You have **_nothing!_** ’ The frantic expression in the man’s eyes worried Kat slightly, but she had to let this play out to its conclusion. He was giving her _everyting._

Snickering, Kat shook her head.

‘Oh, such **_inno_** _cence_.’ She tutted at him. ‘Thinking you’re the biggest shark in the room when you’re nothing more than a teeny... tiny... little spec... of plankton. You see, I started out in life being a victim of men just like you, who were out to take advantage of me. They had all the power where I had none, and, oh, did they abuse that power. So, I changed. I adapted. I started to outsmart them. Time and time again. Until it became second nature to me to turn that power around on them. Allowing them to underestimate me until I had them by the balls. They never even saw it coming. Fools.’ Her expression was one of disdain and disgust as she thought back to those days gone by.

‘You thought you had me by the tits from the beginning, all those months ago, but the truth is... You never even came _close_ to acquiring those filming rights. I could smell the stench of a con all the way over in England. Amateur.’ The biting cold fury in her voice was something she had hoped to never hear again. She’d hoped to never have to go to that cold, calculating state of mind again, after closing that first dark chapter of her life when she got clean, but alas, here she was. 

Fishing her phone out of her bag, she held it to her mouth as she pinned Walt in place with a glare.

‘Voices on record, Walter Townsend, Katherine Blackburn, and Robert Downey jr. Witnessed by Susan Downey. Recording ended on Friday, March seventeenth, twenty-seventeen, Eleven thirty-three AM.’ Quickly, she stopped the recording and saved it to her cloud; afterward sending it to Bob and Susan’s phones. Just in case. ‘That’s your proof, Walt.’ She said with a nod. 

Walt loudly breathed in and out through his mouth in his fury.

‘You **_CUNT!_** ’ 

‘I prefer _Shark_ , thank you very much.’ She quipped, baring her teeth in a dangerous grin, and eliciting an amused laugh from Bob. ‘And if you’re interested, Team Downey now owns the filming rights to my books. We made it official last night. So, no more threats and harrassment to get your way, alright? There’s nothing you can do to reverse the agreement and get your greedy hands on my work. It’s better to just accept it than to make a fool of yourself, you know?’

Walt seemed unable to respond to that as he was clearly apoplectic with rage, so Kat adressed Bob and Susan, raising an eyebrow as she coolly gazed upon the couple; unable to slip out of the calculating character yet.

‘I saw you brought the police?’

Susan nodded.

‘When you sent that text about the drugged coffee, we called 911. They arrived at the same time as we did, and they secured a large sample of the tainted drink from the plant pot. The receptionist started blabbing on mr Townsend as soon as he realised he was about to be the scapegoat to the man’s criminal intrigues. So, basically, they’re here to arrest both of them.’

‘ _Good_. This asshole belongs behind bars.’ 

The door to the hallway was opened by Bob, and the three policemen stepped in, escorting a loudly protesting Walt -apparently he’d found his voice again and was calling her every insult he could think of- out of the room and down to the elevators while reading him his rights.

It was almost anti-climactic how quickly the man was taken away; leaving Kat alone in the room with Bob and Susan. 

Slowly, the built-up tension left her body, and, within seconds, she went from being a cold, tough, tightly strung woman, to feeling shaky and drained. A shuddering breath exploded from her lungs as she suddenly realised how close she’d come to being a statistic; a victim of an unintentional drug overdose. If she’d been a little bit less guarded... If she’d drunk the coffee without checking... Fuck. 

Blindly, she reached for one of the chairs and allowed herself to fall down into it; her trembling legs no longer able to carry her weight.

Horrified by how much her hands were shaking now that she didn’t have to keep herself under an iron control anymore, she clutched them together.

_‘Jesus Christ...’_ She muttered softly to herself as she tried to control her trembling muscles. _‘Jesus fuckin’ Christ...’_ Closing her eyes, she tried to keep her calm.

‘ ** _Holy shit!_** ’ Exclaimed Bob, who had been silent until then, his voice a mixture of elation and awe. ‘That was one of the best performances I’ve ever seen! I believed everything you said. My god, I really thought you were going to sign that fucking contract! Your body language was flawless!’

Kat cringed at his loud appreciation of her ability to crawl into a character so different from her own. It wasn’t something she was proud of. In the past, she’d used it to con people. To hurt them. To steal. She was ashamed of it. So very ashamed. The ability famous actors were revered for, to her was a gaping flaw in her own character. Something to bury at the most far reaches of her consciousness. Never to be visited again.

Until now. 

A tear rolled down her cheek. A real one, this time.

‘ _Bob_.’ Admonished Susan her husband softly. ‘Not the time, nor the place.’

Bob looked sharply at Kat, his expression softening when he saw her distress.

‘Oh, honey...’ Crouching next to her, he laid a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently. ‘Everything is okay. You did great. We got the motherfucker. And you’re free from his conniving influence.’

Kat sniffed, and rubbed her hands over her face; completely ruining her make-up, but she couldn’t care less. Now that the whole debacle was over, a lethargic feeling spread through her limbs, and, suddenly, all she wanted to do, was sleep.

‘Let’s get you home, alright?’ Bob said.

Nodding, she allowed him to pull her into a standing position and lead her out of the room; Susan quietly following behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that happened...
> 
> Kudos and Feedback are appreciated, if you could spare the time.
> 
> If not, no hard feelings. :D
> 
> Cheers! ^_^


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